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1000 Sentences With "aircrews"

How to use aircrews in a sentence? Find typical usage patterns (collocations)/phrases/context for "aircrews" and check conjugation/comparative form for "aircrews". Mastering all the usages of "aircrews" from sentence examples published by news publications.

Interoperability also prepares seafarers and aircrews to execute operations in wartime.
With each trip into the battle, the aircrews faced heavy fire.
Some 17 percent, or 95 aircrews, stayed in hotels in Glasgow.
They later died, bringing the tally to 23 aircrews killed following the collision.
And 6 percent, or 31 aircrews, stayed at the Turnberry resort, the report found.
It also detailed six instances when aircrews stayed longer than 24 hours at Turnberry.
Bomber Task Force deployments are meant train US aircrews while reassuring partners and deterring foes.
American carriers get the contracts but foreign aircraft and foreign aircrews actually do the flying.
Aircrews who can bring in additional helicopters and cargo transport aircraft to move troops and equipment.
By 2003 Thermal Flash Protective Devices (TFPD) were required for all PACAF aircrews on SIOP missions.
Aircrews assigned to the Eisenhower already have been briefed on launching potential long-range bombing missions.
Before conducting strikes, aircrews would sometimes radio to ask under which mission they were about to shoot.
The Air Force has also sorts of planes for all sorts of missions, with aircrews to match each.
There is no margin for error and insufficient time or space for our aircrews to take corrective action.
More than 2000,000 people have been rescued since the flooding began in North Carolina, nearly 100 people by aircrews.
"Aircrews believed the drawings on the aircraft would be contained only to aircrews viewing while flying on the aircraft and was meant to be a morale boost and joke to break from the monotonous routines encountered during that rotation," according to a redacted copy of the investigation obtained by Task and Purpose.
Two Coast Guard aircrews were then sent to aid in the rescue, with efforts beginning a little after 1 p.m.
Pararescuers are tasked with the dangerous job of going into hostile areas and rescuing  aircrews whose planes have gone down.
Additionally, two B-29's collided in mid-air, killing the aircrews, according to U.S. Air Force and Navy reports.
Two Black Hawk aircrews were reportedly conducting training between Kaena Point and Dillingham Airfield at the time communications were lost.
VA suspends funeral honors, large gatherings at cemeteries due to coronavirusIn lieu of masks, aircrews were told to simply limit the amount of talking near any patients and open the windows or take off the doors in flight, the aviator said; there's also no plan handed down to quarantine aircrews if they're repeatedly transporting coronavirus patients.
The number also does not include combat aircrews flying from bases outside Iraq and Syria, nor from Navy aircraft carriers at sea.
The aircrews will conduct integration and interoperability training with European allies and partners in the region during their deployment, the Air Force said.
This means that it can plot the wildfire perimeter in near-real-time, as live video from aircrews is beamed to National Guard analysts.
The weapon is capable of flying more than 45 miles to strike mobile targets, reducing the amount of time aircrews spend flying dangerous missions.
As our aircrews serve on these international airlift missions, they follow strict guidelines on contracting for hotel accommodations and all expenditures of taxpayer dollars.
Naval aircrews operating off the U.S. East Coast reported contacts with objects conducting extreme maneuvers that defied any known (or remotely conceivable) technological capabilities.
"Our combat-hardened aircrews are at the tip of the spear for applying airpower against our nation's enemies," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
The deployment will allow the aircrews to train with European partners and allow Global Strike Command to practice bomber operations from a forward operating location.
To maintain readiness, crews often use simulation tools, so the opportunity for live-fire is a significant event for aircrews and those on the ground.
Debris was spotted near Kaena Point, Oahu by the Coast Guard Hercules and Army Black Hawk aircrews at 11:28 pm (5:28 am EDT).
A batch of stories eventually emerged that focused on the heroism of the aircrews, and how they managed to fly partially disabled Ospreys to safety.
"We hated what we were doing," said Jim Marich, one of the airmen who flew over Tokyo that night as part of the B-2100 aircrews.
The others onboard included a combat rescue officer, and active and reserve airmen, whose job is to find and recover downed aircrews and evacuate the wounded.
Timothy Irish of the Marines said Monday that aircrews wear personal flotation devices with their flight suits and get additional training on top of survival swimming training.
But it's the service's biggest planes that keep the Air Force and other branches in fighting shape — here's how aircrews learn to keep those heavy airframes flying.
The Super Stallions and Ospreys lifted off from the rain-soaked field, their precise and graceful movements a visible testament to the rigorous training required of aircrews.
"This unsafe and unprofessional air intercept has the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved," Pentagon spokesman Commander Bill Urban said in a statement.
Analysts say that enough doubt remains about the thoroughness of security at some airports that aircrews cannot confidently call a would-be hijacker's bluff about having a weapon.
Following the 2003 shoot-downs, the U.S.-led coalition ordered its aircrews to switch to more reliable transponders that the Patriots hopefully would be better able to detect.
The Tu-134 UB-L, RF-12041, nicknamed "Black Pearl," that the BAF F-16s intercepted was designed to train Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 strategic bomber aircrews.
"As our aircrews serve on these international airlift missions, they follow strict guidelines on contracting for hotel accommodations and all expenditures of taxpayer dollars," Brig Gen Edward Thomas wrote.
All the while, General Harrigian met daily with key aides to review intelligence and feedback from aircrews that had just conducted missions before deciding where to insert other aircraft.
All the while, Syrian and Russian air defenses were on heightened alert, raising the risk to American and coalition aircrews in their campaign against the militants, also known as ISIS.
Trump executives also began negotiating with Prestwick airport officials to try to ensure that they would refer visiting aircrews to the hotel, emails first obtained by The Guardian in 264 show.
General Shoaib and General Carey said American and Afghan aircrews followed strict procedures to limit civilian casualties, with pilots often pulling away from confirmed enemy targets for fear of hitting civilians.
The area around the base is a so-called "deconfliction zone," a place in Syria where the United States and Russia have mutually agreed to communicate so their aircrews can operate safely.
The military commanders cautioned that they simply do not have enough aircraft ready for flight to keep up with the current pace of deployment and to safely train aircrews here at home.
Generally speaking, a quick look at the main social media will expose a wide array of military/aviation watches which have become popular among aircrews and aviation enthusiasts all around the globe.
In 2000, the latest data available, the P-210 aircrews contributed to 2000 drug seizures, helping American and foreign authorities capture a combined 34,108 pounds of marijuana and 193,197 pounds of cocaine.
Designed to signal to Allied and German aircrews that they were entering neutral territory, the sign is one of dozens that were built around Ireland's coastline, most of which are no longer visible.
"The modifications emphasised the part the [Su-35's weapons] platform played in realising combat tactics, [taking aircrews] closer to the situation of a real battlefield," pilot Song Lindong was quoted as saying.
"As our aircrews serve on these international airlift missions, they follow strict guidelines on contracting for hotel accommodations and all expenditures of taxpayer dollars," the Air Force said in a statement Sunday night.
"As a practice, we generally send aircrews to the closest, most suitable accommodations within the government hotel rate," an Air Force official said following the release of the military's review of the matter.
As part of that partnership, aircrews using Prestwick were given access to food and lodging at Turnberry at reduced rates, and the Trump Organization — and sometimes Trump himself — worked to steer business Prestwick's way.
Last year, the P-3 aircrews contributed to 145 drug seizures, helping American and foreign authorities capture a combined 34,108 pounds of marijuana and 193,197 pounds of cocaine, according to Customs and Border Protection records.
"[The] 85033 EBS aircrew members confirmed, it was common practice for aircrews to create what was commonly referred to as 'dick pics' using the Microsoft Paint application in the B-52 [redacted] display," the investigation said.
The Air Force on Tuesday posted photographs and videos of aircrews flying the mission, and said in the captions that the exercise was "designed to familiarize aircrew with European airspace and reassure allies in the region."
The KC-130J Hercules escorted the Osprey on each leg of the trans-Pacific journey, stopping at islands along the route where the aircrews could rest and refit and aircraft could be topped-off with fuel.
The Glasgow-area golf course, which already has a large hotel, has drawn its own headlines recently, as it has hosted several dozen Defense Department aircrews and passengers that use an airport for overnight refueling stops.
"We designed the test events to cover all the potential environments that aircrews may find themselves in," Chief Warrant Officer 4 Toby Blackmon, of the US Army Operational Test Command's Aviation Test Directorate, said in the release.
In this handout provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Signet Enterprise is sinking as helicopter aircrews were launched to assist the people in distress aboard the vessels near Port Aransas, Texas in response to Hurricane Harvey, August.
The Trump Organization lobbied to get its resort on a list of hotels that the airport would refer its aircrews to — despite it being a little over 20 miles away and with pricier rates, according to The Times.
The exercise was initiated by Brigadier General Richard G. Head and was intended to give aircrews from across Asia their first taste of combat in a realistic simulated combat environment, improving US and international forces joint combat readiness.
Having concluded that May 26 was the last date in 1943 on which the selected dams could be attacked, the British faced a race against time to perfect the technology, produce specially modified bombers and ready the aircrews.
A ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and the U.S. late last year failed, and coordination between the two countries is now limited to communication between the Defense Department and the Russian military to ensure the safety of aircrews.
Besides search and rescue, and unlike air stations in the mainland United States, the Coast Guard missions in Alaska often include medically evacuating people from remote areas — as aircrews have done at least seven times since the shutdown began.
" She added, "Additionally, planning and execution of these missions are carried out under the same oversight currently provided for military aircrews, and the resulting sensor information will be collected, analyzed, transmitted and stored as appropriate by the same military intelligence units.
After two decades in the Army Special Forces, several deployments overseas and a stint in the F.B.I., Steven Bellino switched to the Air Force to become an elite pararescue lifesaver trained to jump from planes and save aircrews behind enemy lines.
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii — US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber aircrews participated in live-fire training operations with the US Army over the Pohakuloa Training Area, located on the big island of Hawaii November 15 and 18.
Operating in the mindset of the enemy, the 18th Aggressor Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, is here to employ adversarial tactics to prepare US and partner-nation aircrews for tomorrow's victories through challenging, realistic threat replication and training.
Troops in cemeteries, even if unidentified, have at least been buried with honor, the agency argues, so it concentrates instead on locating remains that never made it to a cemetery: infantrymen lost in a jungle ambush, say, or aircrews scattered by a mountainside plane crash.
Although FA-18 aircrews have experienced PEs attributed to breathing air problems, the majority of recent serious incidents have been attributed to issues related to the aircraft's environmental control system, which supports air quality in the cockpit and cabin pressurization malfunctions, according to the report.
"As a result of recent encounters involving pro Syrian regime and Russian forces, we have taken prudent measures to reposition aircraft over Syria so as to continue targeting ISIS forces while ensuring the safety of our aircrews given known threats in the battle space," coalition spokesman Col.
"We&aposre closely working with aircrews, maintenance, industry engineers and combatant commands to identify and determine what, if any, changes may be made as we balance operational necessity today with the longevity of the B-1 airframe for the future," said Air Force Global Strike Command spokesman Lt. Col.
The recent articles, a pair of stories about the American firebombing of civilian neighborhoods of Japan in 2696, told from the perspective of both a survivor and the aircrews behind the attacks, served in many ways as a reminder of the moral and personal forthrightness that immediate histories of war often lack.
"Aircrews, maintenance and support personnel, will continue generating B-1 bomber sorties to demonstrate the continuing U.S. commitment to stability and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, providing commanders with a strategic power projection platform and fulfilling the need for anytime mission-ready aircraft, an important part of national defense during a time of high regional tension," the statement continued.
The Department of Defense has said its contract with Prestwick is completely separate from the Trump Organization's arrangement with the airport, and said it did not benefit from reduced rates at Turnberry through the same mechanism as other aircrews have — military stays at the resort were booked through the Defense Department's Defense Management System rather than through staff at Prestwick.
In an era when the use of ground troops has proved costly, unpopular and generally ineffective, and where threats might be real but not necessarily "strategic," they are a godsend: missiles whose accuracy minimizes the risk of collateral damage, that pose no risk to aircrews, are unstoppable and phenomenally accurate, can yield an impact equal to five to ten tons of high explosive with no warhead at all yet be capable of delivering a nuclear bomb, and can reach nearly every coordinate on the surface of the earth within 30 minutes.
The AATTC also trains qualified USMC and Special Operations Forces (SOF) aircrews. These SOF aircrews include MC-130 Combat Talon, AC-130 Spectre gunship aircrews and Combat Search and Rescue HC-130 Air Rescue Service . The AATTC also trains USAF and AFRC C-17 aircrews, C-130(H)(J) aircrews from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, as well as C-160 crews from Germany, G-222 crews from Italy AND C295 crews from Spain. The AATTC course is listed in AFC 36-2223 (USAF Formal Schools Catalog) as AATTC - Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center and is assigned PDS code 6S4.
In August 1990 the 340th deployed aircrews for Operation Desert Storm.
Provide Combat Ready CV-22 Aircrews to Air Force Special Operations Command.
Cadets over the age of 18 can also serve on CAP aircrews.
Train and equip Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircrews for global airland operations.
Train and equip C-17 aircrews for global air-land and airdrop operations.
After this training, the aircrews were assigned to a fleet squadron and sea duty.
To train and equip C-17 aircrews for global air-land and airdrop operations.
It became a training unit in 1969, first training tactical reconnaissance aircrews on the McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II from 1969 to 1971 as the '31st Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron, then acting as the "schoolhouse" for F-4 aircrews from 1982 to 1988.
Train and equip Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircrews for global airland and airdrop operations.
Aircrews provide theater mobility, embassy support and airdrops. They also fly people, food and mail.
The squadron trained North American B-25 Mitchell aircrews from September 1942 to April 1944.
Maintain combat ready aircrews and aircraft capable of deploying in response to worldwide contingencies and emergencies.
Air Transport Command ferried the now-excess aircrews back to the UK via Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, Iran.
This system also allows controllers and aircrews to view an event from several different aspects in three dimensions.
Shepherd, Joel. "1942 – Doolittle Raid Aircrews". USS Enterprise CV-6, 15 February 2014."The Doolittle Raid (CV-8)".
RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate (eds.), Vol. VI, p.
The spin test program culminated in a training film, Unload for Control, that was presented to F-4 aircrews.
During the period 1935–1940 the 1st Bomb Squadron trained aircrews, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows.
It currently has an increasing role providing simulator training to aircrews and maintenance personnel at Air Force bases across Australia.
During the war, Bakers operated services transporting aircrews for British Empire Airways. By 1945, the fleet had grown to 30.
In 1997 the Navy assumed responsibility for training aircrews of all services in advanced water survival and the squadron was inactivated.
Continued as a B-17 RTU until the end of heavy bomber training of replacement aircrews in May 1944; was inactivated.
From 1970 to 1974, as the 6th Special Operations Training Squadron, it trained aircrews for special operations, primarily in Southeast Asia.
Continued as a B-17 RTU until the end of heavy bomber training of replacement aircrews in May 1944; was inactivated.
Continued as a B-17 RTU until the end of heavy bomber training of replacement aircrews in May 1944; was inactivated.
Hough p. 297 Air battles between the Allied aircraft at Henderson and Japanese bombers and fighters from Rabaul continued almost daily. Between 26 August and 5 September, the U.S. lost about 15 aircraft to the Japanese's approximately 19 aircraft. More than half of the downed U.S. aircrews were rescued while the majority of the Japanese aircrews were never recovered.
Aircrews from the 728th Airlift Squadron and 313th Airlift Squadrons also flew Army firefighters to Idaho and Montana to help battle the Western wildfires in the worst wildfire season to hit the United States in 50 years. Two members from the 446th Airlift Control Flight performed ground support for aircrews battling the wildfires in the West.
The mission of the 317th Airlift Squadron is to recruit, train, and support combat ready aircrews in order to meet global taskings.
During these missions, the aircrews moved 4,311 passengers, hauled 1813 tons of cargo and transported 36 patients for a mission effectiveness rate of 100%.
255–256Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 489Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 229Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 231–232 RTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews.
As "Group Training Inspector" he regularly visited operational squadrons, ostensibly to lecture aircrews on the changing tactics and techniques employed by the Pathfinders. Before visiting a station, he would have already identified crews that he felt were candidates for the PFF. His small staff had reviewed the aiming point photographs shot from the aircraft on each mission. In recruiting aircrews Mahaddie was looking for accuracy and daring.
The experienced Japanese carrier aircrews performed better than those of the U.S., achieving greater results with an equivalent number of aircraft. The Japanese attack on the U.S. carriers on 8 May was better coordinated than the U.S. attack on the Japanese carriers. The Japanese suffered much higher losses to their carrier aircrews, losing ninety aircrew killed in the battle compared with thirty-five for the U.S. side. Japan's cadre of highly skilled carrier aircrews with which it began the war were, in effect, irreplaceable because of an institutionalised limitation in its training programs and the absence of a pool of experienced reserves or advanced training programs for new airmen.
No. 53-0475 of the 39th Tactical Electronics Warfare Training Squadron, now at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright- Patterson AFB, Ohio While aircrews went on alert, support personnel expanded the base photo laboratory facilities and installed additional photo vans and darkrooms. Because of a shortage of adequate facilities, aircrews and other airmen occupied temporary, inadequate, wooden barracks that hampered crew rest. After trying off-base housing, the aircrews moved to permanent airmen's quarters on the base for the remainder of the deployment. On 26 October, the 363rd launched the first flight of two low-level reconnaissance RF-101 aircraft.
Provided combat crew training for all USAF B-52 aircrews, beginning November 1994. In response to Saddam Hussein's attacks against the Kurdish minority in northern Iraq, aircrews of the 96th Bomb Sq deployed and launched attacks against military targets in Iraq in September 1996, actions for which the aircrews received the Mackay trophy as the most meritorious flight of 1996. Continued to deploy aircraft and personnel to southwest Asia to support the Allied watch on the southern and northern "no-fly" zones in Iraq. Flew combat missions against targets in Iraq, 17–18 December 1998, in response to Iraq's refusal to allow UN weapons inspectors to continue work.
RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters and assignment to an operational group.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Men & Planes, p.
647 542d, and 543d Fighter Squadrons.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 648 Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.
When all hope of rescuing aircrews shot down during the 7 December attack was abandoned, she left Hawaiian waters, arriving at Kwajalein on 27 December 1942.
Trained United States and RVNAF aircrews in the United States and South Vietnam in unconventional warfare, counter-insurgency, psychological warfare, and civic actions throughout the Vietnam War.
These squadrons were usually formed around aircrews from the named nation, replacement aircrew where possible coming from that nation as well, although most ground crew were British.
Provide the Department of Defense with highly trained, highly motivated, combat-ready aircrews who execute the best tactical airlift/airdrop operations in the United States Air Force.
Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 99-100 With its arrival the 478th's mission expanded to train and maintain combat ready aircrews for the defense of the United States.
The 452 OG mission is to organize, train and equip aircrews to provide air refueling and strategic airlift any time, any place. The Group's aircraft operate under widely varying situations ranging from small movements in battle to large movements over long distances. The Group also has a medical squadron which augments joint forces with aeromedical evacuation aircrews who provide medical care for sick and injured patients transported by air.
Similarly, cases of barodontalgia were reported in 0.3% of high altitude- chamber simulations in the Luftwaffe. The rate of barodontalgia was about 1 case per 100 flight-years in the Israeli Air Force. During World War II, about one-tenth of American aircrews had one or more episodes of barodontalgia. In a recent study, 8.2% of 331 Israeli Air Force aircrews, reported at least one episode of barodontalgia.
Technical Report AFRL-HE-BR-TR-2005-0073, Air Force Research Laboratory, Brooks City-Base TX, 2005. (ADA434836)Miller JC. Scheduling Aircrews 1: Intra- Theater 24/7 Operations. Technical Report AFRL-HE-BR-TR-2005-0074, Air Force Research Laboratory, Brooks City-Base TX, 2005. (ADA434696)Miller JC. Scheduling Aircrews 2: Nighttime Missions. Technical Report AFRL-HE-BR- TR-2005-0075, Air Force Research Laboratory, Brooks City-Base TX, 2005.
The field supported Halifax bombers in the night bombing campaign over Germany. Prior to arriving he had to be checked out in the four engine bomber, and cleared to fly it day or night. Responsible for 3,500 station service personnel, the well being of the aircrews was his primary concern. The inevitable failure of aircraft to return and resultant loss of life of the aircrews he found deeply troubling.
The wing flew both aircraft until 1973 when its C-5s were transferred to Dover AFB, Delaware and Dovers C-141s were moved to Charleston. It has participated in numerous tactical operations and exercises, particularly those of NATO. Wing aircrews have been augmented by attached Reserve aircrews from the 315th Airlift Wing. From 1966 to the early 1970s, the wing also flew numerous missions to the Far East and Southeast Asia.
Sufficient ammunition was provided for the artillery to fire at a rate of 200 shells per hour; counter-battery reconnaissance aircrews managed to locate 83 British artillery emplacements.
Aircrews stand ready to respond from three strategically located Air Bases within the state 365 days a year. Currently, the unit consists of 21 pilots and tactical flight officers.
Ned Rozell. "Amazing flying machines allow time travel". Retrieved May 8, 2008. Aircrews are briefed prior to takeoff on the conditions to expect en route and at their destination.
Naval aircrews, many of whom were redirected from Operation Rolling Thunder strikes against North Vietnam, flew 5,337 sorties and dropped 7,941 tons of ordnance in the area.Prados, p. 297.
Wing aircraft, most aircrews and maintenance personnel, and other support personnel were loaned to other SAC units for combat operations in Southeast Asia, 27 May 1972 – 15 July 1973.
List of United States Air Force support squadrons identifies the United States Air Force squadron, shield, location and support unit. A support squadron supplies all the necessary manpower and equipment needed to continue numerous tasks. An operations support squadron may dictate policy, train aircrews, and maintain airfields based on the missions of the units it supports. This type of unit will also staff the control tower and supply weather forecasts for bases and aircrews.
It then trained aircrews until it was disbanded in 1944. The 943d Forward Air Control Squadron provided Tactical Air Control Parties in Germany from 1952 until its inactivation in 1954.
Three Doolittle Raiders (Farrow, Hallmark and Spatz) were executed by the Imperial Japanese Army, while Meder died of disease in prison.Shepherd, Joel. "1942: Doolittle Raid Aircrews." USS Enterprise CV-6.
The SERE school at Fairchild AFB is intended to train aircrews, special forces, and other service members who operate in dangerous areas and are thus more likely to be captured.
The 15th Airlift Squadron, "Global Eagles", provides combat-ready C-17 aircrews for strategic airlift missions worldwide. The squadron is tasks include emergency nuclear airlift, Presidential support and humanitarian relief efforts.
Along with other reserve units called to active duty, it formed Tactical Air Command's Eighteenth Air Force. The squadron's initial function was to train C-46 aircrews for service in Korea.
Post-war, the SAAF also took part in the Berlin airlift of 1948 with 20 aircrews flying Royal Air Force Dakotas. 4,133 tons of supplies were carried in 1,240 missions flown.
On 1 July 2007, the Air Force Reserve Command's (AFRC) 433d Airlift Wing (433 AW) at Lackland AFB/Kelly Field (former Kelly AFB) assumed responsibility for all flying training and academic training for the C-5 aircraft for all Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) aircrews, leaving the 97 AMW and Altus to concentrate on C-17 and KC-135 training for AMC, USAFE, PACAF, AFRC and ANG aircrews.
Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 352–354The group also had one squadron flying Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 765. Squadron aircrews were specially selected from all VIII Bomber Command groups.
Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 352–354The group also had one squadron flying Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 765. Squadron aircrews were specially selected from all VIII Bomber Command groups.
The squadron operates the Air Force Reserve's only Formal Training Unit providing initial and advanced C-5 flight qualification for Air Mobility Command, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command aircrews.
Along with other reserve troop carrier units called to active duty, it formed Tactical Air Command's Eighteenth Air Force. The squadron's initial function was to train C-46 aircrews for service in Korea.
Battlecat aircrews observe, identify, and localize surface threats using RADAR, ESM, and FLIR. When a suspected threat is detected, an MH-60R aircraft equipped with Hellfire missiles may conduct independent or coordinated attacks.
Several of the seaplanes were warming their engines in preparation for takeoff and were lost with their aircrews and many of their support personnel.Hammel, Carrier Clash, p. 46–47, Jersey, Hell's Islands, p.
Retrieved: 12 September 2009. For a period, most RAAF aircrews received advanced training in Canada. During mid-1940, however, some RAAF trainees began to receive advanced training at RAF facilities in Southern Rhodesia. On 14 November 1940, the first contingent to graduate from advanced training in Canada embarked for Britain, Following the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941, the majority of RAAF aircrews completed their training in Australia and served with RAAF units in the South West Pacific Theatre.
The company spent time on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, and then travelled to Inveraray in Scotland where they underwent specialised training on Loch Fyne, practising night embarkations on landing craft to prepare the company for evacuation by sea after raiding the radar installation. After this, the unit returned to Wiltshire and began carrying out practice parachute drops with the aircraft and aircrews of 51 Squadron. Despite the aircrews having no previous experience in dropping parachutists, these exercises proved to be successful.Harclerode, p. 209.
The primary mission of the 162nd Fighter Wing is education and flight training of international F-16 Fighting Falcon aircrews. In addition, the wing performs air defense and homeland protection of the United States.
RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, p. xxxvi The squadron also began to participate in exercises with the parachute school at Fort Benning.
Zim, p. 153 A total of five B5Ns, four Zeros and six D3As from the ship were lost during the two strikes, along with their aircrews, a total of 31 personnel.Lengerer, p. 174; Stille, p.
Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 352–354The group also had two squadrons flying Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 763–765. Squadron aircrews were specially selected from all VIII Bomber Command Liberator groups.
It served as an airlift unit in the reserve until 1968, when it became a combat crew training unit as the 705th Tactical Airlift Squadron (CCTS) and trained Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircrews until inactivated.
Lockheed C-130K Hercules 65-13040 taking off The group flew worldwide airlift and provided all C-130 aircrew training to U.S. and allied aircrews, September 1978 – June 1980 and from December 1991 to present.
During World War II, the "50 mission crush" cap was popular among aircrews of the United States Army Air Forces. Bomber and fighter aircrews had to wear headsets over their service cap during flight, so they would remove the stiffening wire from the cap. The headset would then crush the cap, which would eventually retain its crushed appearance. Since it took a good many missions to properly achieve the look, a so-called "50-mission crush" cap was considered a sign of a seasoned combat veteran.
In an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) role, Scorpion aircrews use radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), sonobuoys, and ship sensors to localize, classify, track, and if necessary attack when a submarine has been detected. Aircraft can be equipped with various different torpedoes for the mission. In an Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) role, Scorpion aircrews observe, identify, and localize threat platforms using radar, ESM, and FLIR. When a suspected threat is detected, data can be provided to the parent ship for surface−to−surface weapon engagement.
The American pilot was Robert Short. Sakaida, p. 97, states that Short was killed in the engagement. The Kaga aircrews received a special commendation from the 3rd Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura, for their actions.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, effective March 16, 2020 only Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and immediate family members of Canadian citizens, U.S. citizens, Permanent residents, diplomats and aircrews are being allowed into Canada.
This article lists the aggressor squadrons of the United States Air Force. The purpose of aggressor squadrons is to prepare Air Force combat aircrews by providing challenging, realistic threat replication, training, test support, academics and feedback.
"The Five First Flights." thewrightbrothers.org, 23 July 2008. For its voracious consumption of fuel and its maintenance and reliability issues the Galaxy's aircrews have nicknamed it "FRED", for Fucking Ridiculous, Economic/Environmental Disaster.Lippincott 2006, p. 4.
The unit's aircrews rapidly attained a high level of combat readiness, and just two years later, the unit earned its first Spaatz Trophy—an award given each year to the premier Air National Guard flying unit.
RAF Tain is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range on the Dornoch Firth near Tain in Scotland. Royal Air Force aircrews from RAF Lossiemouth are trained in air weaponry on the range, along with NATO aircrew.
During this period, it included a significant proportion of aircrews from other Commonwealth countries, many of whom were Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel. The squadron suffered significant losses of personnel and aircraft on operations over Burma.
This totalled 10,327 casualties in aircrews. Some 159 ground crews were killed in action, 535 were killed in accidents and 218 were killed by other causes. A further 49 were wounded while 224 died of natural causes.
The crash resulted in the deaths of 22 U.S. Air Force and two Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. Today, squadron aircrews take part in exercises such as Red Flag - Alaska, Team Spirit, Green Flag, and Tandem Thrust.
Organization organized as the USAF Weapons School B-1 Division on 28 August 1992 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Replaced by the 77th Weapons Squadron in 2003. It provides training to B-1 aircrews at Dyess.
Altus is home to Altus Air Force Base, the United States Air Force training base for C-17, KC-46 and KC-135 aircrews. It is also home to Western Oklahoma State College and Southwest Technology Center.
Shore, p.131 These figures do not include casualties among Special Forces troops at Lang Vei, aircrews killed or missing in the area, or Marine replacements killed or wounded while entering or exiting the base aboard aircraft.
The Western Phase consists of two Low Level Awareness Training (LLAT) sorties, one Dissimilar Defensive Maneuvering (DDM) sortie, two Low Level Navigation Training (LLNT) sorties and one Hostile Environment Training (HET) sortie. Actual airdrops and actual combat off/on loads (COL) are also incorporated into the Western phase. During both phases the aircrews fly against simulated SAM and AAA ground threats, as well as actual air threats. Audiovisual personnel record the evasive maneuvering of the response to the simulated threats on videotape which is used to provide feedback to the aircrews during debriefings.
Major personnel changes occurred as most of the group's aircrews had served enough time in theater that they were rotated back to the United States and replaced by new aircrews fresh from the States.This included about 25 radio operator/gunners from the Royal Canadian Air Force, who had been attached to the group when it began operations in Egypt. Tucker & Bledsoe, p. 284. Later in August, the group moved to Gerbini Airfield on Sicily, from which it struck bridges, tunnels and other targets to support Operation Baytown, the invasion of southern Italy.
Under Article XV of the agreement, 67 "Article XV squadrons" were formed in the name of other Commonwealth air forces, within RAF operational commands. In addition, many RAF squadrons included individual Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and South African aircrews. Another 43 squadrons were formed during the war out of aircrews from occupied European countries, comprising designated Polish, French, Norwegian, Czechoslovakian, Dutch, Greek, Belgian and Yugoslavian units. Two "Eagle Squadrons" were formed from American volunteers when the US was neutral (1939–1941), as well as one made up of Argentinean nationals.
The flights were piloted and commanded by instructors on the OTU, but aircrews under training would make up the rest of the complement. RAF Seighford was opened up as a satellite and Relief Landing Ground for RAF Hixon and No.30 OTU when RAF Wheaton Aston became busier and ceased being RAF Hixon's stand-by airfield. Quite often, aircrews would have to get their aircraft across to RAF Seighford before missions could begin as the runway at RAF Hixon was not long enough for bombers laden with bombs.
To have enough aircraft and experienced aircrews for replacement-crew training, the Dunkeswell detachment was reduced to four aircrews and four aircraft and the remainder were sent to supplement the Lajes Field detachment. Replacement crews began arriving in the Azores on 8 December 1944, and began the night-searchlight training program. The four aircraft and crews left at Dunkeswell rejoined the squadron on 14 February 1945. On 26 May 1945, orders were received to establish a squadron detachment of six aircraft and seven crews for hurricane reconnaissance at NAS Boca Chica in Key West, Florida.
During World War II, Connecticut was a major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews. The USAAF established Six major airfields under the command of First Air Force, headquartered at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York between 1942 and 1945. The mission of these bases primarily was wartime training of aircrews by Army Air Forces Training Command (A precursor to the current-day USAF Air Education and Training Command). It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields as most were converted into municipal airports.
During the Vietnam War, the wing flew numerous missions to Southeast Asia, although the wing flew routes worldwide to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It participated in joint training with U.S. Army, taking part in numerous tactical exercises in the United States and overseas, particularly in support of NATO. Additionally, it flew worldwide airlift missions, including hauling mail and other high priority cargo, conducting aeromedical evacuation, serving as personnel transport, participating in humanitarian relief, and diplomatic missions. Wing aircrews were also augmented by attached Reserve aircrews from the 512th Airlift Wing.
A deployed U.S. Navy flight surgeon performs a shipboard exam in the Persian Gulf in 2004. Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or astronauts. The specialty strives to treat or prevent conditions to which aircrews are particularly susceptible, applies medical knowledge to the human factors in aviation and is thus a critical component of aviation safety. A military practitioner of aviation medicine may be called a flight surgeon and a civilian practitioner is an aviation medical examiner.
Example is the S-3 Viking. ;T: Trainer: Trainers are aircraft used to train aircrews. Examples are the T-6 Texan II and T-45 Goshawk. ;U: Utility: Utility craft are utilized for miscellaneous missions and base support.
The second predecessor is the 509th Air Refueling Squadron, which was one of the first refueling units in the Air Force and deployed planes and Aircrews to support strike forces in the Vietnam War and during Desert Storm.
Hundreds more wing reservists were activated for duty at McChord. Wing reservists pitched in to assist survivors of Mount Pinatubo eruption in Operation Fiery Vigil. Then came Operation Provide Comfort where aircrews airlifted humanitarian aid to Iraqi Kurds.
The 144th's mission is to provide trained aircrews and support personnel for airlift and airdrop during all contingencies in the Pacific Theater. The state mission is to provide emergency and humanitarian support when called on by the governor.
No. 60 Squadron's Blenheim aircrews manned No. 113 Squadron's planes for the first bombing raid on Bangkok and participated again in the second one later in January.Air fighting, Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 8, 10 January 1942, page 7.
The 481st was again nonoperational from 31 July 1971 until 12 November 1972 when several 524th aircrews were transferred. Squadron crews underwent extensive training at Nellis and Cannon, and flew the first F-111D mission on 2 March 1973.
The mission of the 728th is to provide mission-ready aircrews for operational support for strategic and tactical airlift, combat airdrop and aeromedical evacuation in support of U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command and gaining major command objectives.
The 730th's mission is to train aircrews from the Reserve, Air National Guard. and regular Air Force in air mobility missions, including airlift and air refueling as a formal training unit. It also develops the faculty providing this training.
Lundstrom, Guadalcanal Campaign, p. 444. One U.S. aircraft, flown by Hornet Air Group Commander, was able to reach a U.S. airbase at Espiritu Santo. The remaining U.S. aircraft ditched in the ocean, and their aircrews were rescued by escorting warships.
The field became simply Laughlin Field on November 11, 1943, and later an Army Air Force Auxiliary Field. During World War II, Laughlin's primary mission was the training of B-26 pilots and aircrews. It was closed in October 1945.
The unit was redesignated the 559th Flying Training Squadron in 1972, located at Randolph AFB, Texas, initially operating the Cessna T-37 jet trainer. It has since trained US and friendly nation instructor aircrews from May 1972 to the present time.
The squadron remained in Hawaii for two weeks to train the 11th's aircrews on their new planes. This mission also provided the squadron with experience in long range overwater flights that would prove valuable in a few short months.Edmonds, pp.
Japanese losses were much higher: four carriers (all scuttled), one cruiser and 272 carrier aircraft with many of their highly experienced aircrews. Despite losses to her aircraft squadrons, Enterprise came through undamaged and returned to Pearl Harbor on 13 June 1942.
The SAR Rifle, .30-06 calibre, RUGER, Model M77 is a rifle designed for use by Canada's search and rescue technicians (SAR Techs) and aircrews. The SAR Rifle is designed to be a compact survival rifle chambered in .30-06 Springfield.
Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb group in July 1942. Assigned to Second Air Force as an operational training unit, providing replacement crew training for pilots and aircrews. Inactivated in 1944 with the phaseout of B-24 crew training.
It has conducted worldwide air refueling from 1955–1993. The 70th supported the National Emergency Airborne Command Post from 1970 to 1993. It also deployed aircrews and aircraft to Europe and the Arabian peninsula during the Gulf War from, 1990-1991.
Aircraft attacked British troops on the battlefield and reconnaissance aircrews saw that British reserves were not moving forward but poor light made photographic reconnaissance impossible. Despite visibility being fewer than , German balloons were sent up until rained off in the afternoon.
On one night, four F-15Es released multiple GBU-24s on the Iraqi Republican Guard/Baath Party HQ in Basrah while another flight of four destroyed a nearby Air Defense Sector HQ with six GBU-10s.Davies 2005, p. 80. In late February, the 336th received additional aircrews, many drafted from the two non-deployable squadrons at Seymour Johnson (the 333d and 334th Fighter Squadrons) and 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base, for a total of four aircrews per F-15E. In March, the 335th Fighter Squadron's personnel and aircraft joined the 336th at Al Udeid.
The 207th (Independent) Machine-gun Company had been placed behind the front line, Vickers machine-guns in groups, which watched as German officers led their troops forward over slight rise. When the second line of German infantry was visible on the forward slope as far down as their knees and too far forward to retreat, the guns opened fire. German aircrews flying low over the battlefield soon saw the British machine-guns. The aircrews called for artillery-fire and began to strafe the Vickers gun crews, causing many casualties, until the guns were withdrawn a short distance.
The Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, (AATTC), is located at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Saint Joseph, Missouri. The host unit is the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard. Founded in 1983, the AATTC was the brainchild of Major Howard W. Dixon, a pilot who sought the need to establish low level combat survival training and maneuvers for C-130 aircrews; as well as the airlift community as a whole. This evasive aerial survival training had been exclusive to the fighter community up until the establishment of the AATTC, which would expand this training to C-130 aircrews.
An airfield first opened at the Boscombe Down site in October 1917 and operated as a Royal Flying Corps Training Depot Station. The airfield was known as Royal Flying Corps Station Red House Farm and trained aircrews for operational roles in France during the First World War. Between opening and early 1919 the station accommodated No. 6 Training Depot, No. 11 Training Depot and No. 14 Training Depot. When the United States of America entered the war in April 1917, the Royal Flying Corps began training ground and aircrews of Aviation Section of the US Army at the airfield.
In 1959, the 446th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium hosted an "air rodeo" to determine which Air Force Reserve cargo squadron was the most accurate in the nation. Competition took place in the skies above Ellington and on the blacktop tarmac below. Forty aircrews from 14 AFRES air cargo wings from 12 different states participated in the unusual contest. During the event, aircrews dropped 260-pound bundles from C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft flying high above the base and attempted to hit designated targets on the ground. Ellington's own 446th Troop Carrier Wing won the first annual competition.
There it became the fourth bombardment squadron of the 17th group as the 432d Bombardment Squadron. Meanwhile, aircrews from the squadron trained with its B-25s at Hurlburt Field, Florida for the Doolittle Raid. Some aircrews from the squadron participated in the raid, while the balance of the squadron transitioned into Martin B-26 Marauders, and completed training in Louisiana before being deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations shortly following Operation Torch, the North Africa invasion. B-26 Marauders of the 432d Bombardment Squadron over Algeria During December 1942 the squadron became part of XII Bomber Command.
Four British Fortean researchers, Dr. David Clarke, Andy Roberts, Martin Shough, and Jenny Randles, have since conducted a study that has indicated that the incident, or incidents, were much more complex than the Condon Report had suggested. Most significantly, the aircrews originally involved in the incident, Flying Officers David Chambers and John Brady from the first aircraft and Flying Officers Ian Fraser-Ker and Ivan Logan from the second, were located and interviewed. The aircrews involved all flew with 23 Squadron from RAF Waterbeach and were scrambled at 02:00 and 02:40 on 14 August – around two hours later than Wimbledon and Perkins claimed the interceptions occurred. In contrast to the reports given in the original classified teleprinter message and in the accounts of both Wimbledon and Perkins, the aircrews both stated that the radar contacts obtained were unimpressive and that no 'tail-chase', or action on the part of the target, occurred.
153–154 The squadron began operations with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters and assignment to an operational group.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Men & Planes, p.
363 The 964th flew long range surveillance missions in the late 1950s. It rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from, c. 4 April 1965 – 17 May 1974. The 964th also flew combat support missions in Southwest Asia from, 17 January–6 March 1991.
" Air Force magazine, 31 March 2011. In August 2011, two C-27Js flown by Air National Guard aircrews, augmented with Army National Guard personnel, began operations at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan.Wise, 1st Lt. Abigail. "A C-27 sits at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
Air Combat Command's 82d Reconnaissance Squadron maintains aircraft; prepares combat-ready aircrews; and analyzes, processes, and disseminates intelligence data launch in support of RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, RC-135U Combat Sent and WC-135 Constant Phoenix missions flown in the Pacific Theater.
The squadron arrived at its new base at Pocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, where it became a B-17 Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The RTU was an oversized unit to train individual pilots and aircrews for combat units.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Introduction, p.
The squadron served in this capacity for eleven years during which it deployed aircraft and aircrews to Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam War. The two squadrons were consolidated into a single unit in 1985, but the consolidated squadron has never been active.
Control of the airfield was transferred from DeRidder AAB to Third Air Force (Esler Field) on 24 March 1944. The mission of base became training of replacement combat aircrews. On 30 September 1945, the airfield was deactivated and returned to civil control.
The AFC was still in its infancy and could only provide enough aircrews and ground staff for half a flight. All aircraft were to be provided by the Indian Government. Captain Henry Petre was appointed commander, before the half-flight sailed for Bombay.
No. 1 Advanced Flying School opened at the station in 1952, one of the many Flying Training Schools opened across Canada to train Royal Air Force, RCAF and NATO aircrews. Students at the school trained on Mitchell Bombers and Expeditor aircraft trainers.
RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Men & Planes, p.xxxvi In January 1944 the squadron moved away from its parent group and established a separate RTU at Santa Maria Army Air Field, California.
Conduct offensive air support, anti-air warfare, electronic warfare, assault support, and air reconnaissance operations in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force or joint and coalition forces, and conduct fleet replacement program training in order to provide combat capable aircrews to operational squadrons.
As a result, the aircrews came to dislike this version. The handling characteristics were also affected; the Bf 110 was not manoeuvrable to begin with and the added weight made it worse.Weal 1999, p. 28. The Zerstörerwaffe performed well when it encountered mostly British bombers.
It continued to fly the Stratojet until they were phased out of the Air Force inventory, and the squadron was inactivated in 1965. The squadron was activated as the 512th Special Operations Squadron in April 1994 and assumed its mission of training helicopter aircrews.
Uniform dress regulations prohibited the wearing of the Goldfish Club badge on British and American uniforms. The badge was generally worn by Naval aircrews upon their Mae Wests. Many RAF & USAAF aircrewmen placed their badge under the flap of their left hand uniform pocket.
557 The group was a Replacement Training Unit equipped primarily with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, but its squadrons flew a variety of aircraft. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Men & Planes, p.
The 452nd Air Mobility Wing's mission is to organize, train and equip aircrews to provide air refueling and strategic airlift any time, any place. The wing's aircraft operate under widely varying situations ranging from small movements in battle to large movements over long distances.
Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, , Introduction, p. xxxvi In November, replacement training ended and the squadron resumed its preparation for overseas deployment. The 601st deployed to England in April 1944 aboard the troopship .
The final destination was Maison Blanche in Algeria. The squadron's Beaufighters arrived on 15 November 1942,Halley 1980, p. 254. while the groundcrew, following by troopship, arrived in December 1942. The aircrews were in action almost immediately on arrival, without waiting for their ground crews.
There were now only a few people remaining on the ground in Khâm Đức, and most of them were U.S. Special Forces troops and indigenous CIDG personnel. Major James L. Wallace flew into Khâm Đức and extracted the last group, as ammunition dumps began to explode and the aircrews reported hysteria among the Vietnamese soldiers who had lost family members in Bucher's crash. Just when the aircrews believed the mission was over, a C-130 piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Jay Van Cleeff was ordered to reinsert the three-man Combat Control Team, which had been airlifted out of the compound earlier in the day by Colonel Cole.
EC-130H from 43rd ECS over Sembach AB in 1987 On 1 June 1985, the 66th was reactivated again at Sembach AB, West Germany as the 66th Electronic Combat Wing. The 66th ECW trained (43d ECS) Lockheed EC-130 Hercules aircrews at Sembach in the Compass Call mission; administratively controlled (42d ECS) General Dynamics/Grumman EF-111A Raven aircrews based at RAF Upper Heyford, England, and acted as a command and control coordination function for the 52nd FW F-4G & F-16C/D Wild Weasel SAM suppression (SEAD) mission. The 66th provided tactical and electronic combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. The 66th ECW was inactivated on 31 March 1992.
It was equipped with Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and its primary mission was to train KC-135 aircrews for SAC tanker units. It also provided air refueling to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers of its parent wing as they conducted combat crew training in the "Buff" and to other USAF units as directed. The squadron also deployed aircraft and aircrews to the Pacific, European and Alaskan Tanker Task Forces. Later, the 93d Air Refueling Squadron assumed the bulk of the tanker training mission and the squadron deployed crews and aircraft to the Western Pacific region to support combat operations during the Vietnam War.
In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, the Department of Defense relocating the group to Tinker Air Force Base as an associate of the 507th Operations Group of Air Force Reserve Command as the 137th Operations Group. The 137th's C-130H aircraft were distributed to the Texas Air National Guard's 136th Airlift Wing at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas, and the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Missouri.2005 BRAC Report, pp. 125, 157 From October 2008 until 2015, 137th Group aircrews jointly operated the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft at TinkerB with the aircrews of the Air Force Reserve 465th Air Refueling Squadron.
2nd Air Division aircrews received an important role in the vice president's South Florida Drug Task Force. Aircrews from the 20th SOS helped curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States through the Bahamas in Operation BAT (Bahamas and Turks) by transporting Bahamian authorities and American drug enforcement agents to sites of drug action. In almost two and a half years, the squadron flew more than 1,100 sorties which supported the capture or destruction of more than $1.5 billion in drugs, vessels, aircraft, equipment and weapons. During the operation, one 20th SOS UH-1N helicopter crashed at sea resulting in the death of three squadron members.
Hours after President Bush ordered U.S. forces to the Persian Gulf, 150th aircrews were refueling fighters and cargo transports winging their way nonstop from the U.S. to the Persian Gulf. Shortly thereafter, and again, prior to certain units personnel being activated, the 150th deployed aircraft, aircrews, maintenance and support personnel to Saudi Arabia. It also provided urgently needed medical, security police and support personnel to U.S. air bases to assist active duty personnel and serve as "back-fill" for those already rushed to the combat theater. On 1 October 1993, the 170th Air Refueling Group was consolidated with the senior 108th Air Refueling Wing at McGuire AFB for budgeting reasons.
The Luftwaffe interrogation centre at Oberursel, just north of Frankfurt, was officially known as Auswertestelle West (Intelligence and Evaluation Center West). It served as the initial in- processing and interrogation centre for all captured Allied Air Force personnel, except for Soviet aircrews, who were interrogated elsewhere.
The unit provided direct operational training of now-Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) aircrews in the accomplishment of their mission when their systems were severely degraded as might be expected during an attack by enemy offensive aircraft.
Goulter 1995, p.139. In 1942 Coastal Command's problems did not abate. Experienced crews were siphoned off to Malta, to undertake ASO against German and Italian shipping in the Mediterranean. Hudson, Blenheim and Beaufighter squadrons had shortfalls of 69, 28 and 20 aircrews by January 1942.
285 The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups".Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi The group became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversize units, however their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews.
301st Airlift Squadron – C-5 Galaxy The mission of the 301st Airlift Squadron is to train and provide qualified McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III aircrews to fly worldwide airlift missions and augment the active duty forces under readiness conditions up to and including full mobilization.
Both No. 120 and 201 Squadrons had operated Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft at RAF Kinloss and between them will comprise eighteen aircrews. Poseidon MRA Mk. 1 aircraft will operate from Kinloss Barracks (former RAF Kinloss) while runway resurfacing continues at their permanent home of RAF Lossiemouth.
It was again activated in 1986 as the 530th Strategic Bombardment Training Squadron, assuming the personnel and General Dynamics FB-111 Aardvarks of another squadron. It trained all FB-111 aircrews until inactivating when its planes were transferred to Tactical Air Command and modified for conventional operations.
Subsequently, the squadron had its aircrews posted to various Royal Air Force night fighter and signal schools for theater indoctrination. Meanwhile, as there was no sign of the P-61s. the pilots kept up their flight time on Cessna UC-78 Bobcats and de Havilland Mosquitoes.
Some six weeks were required to refit the heavy bombers as substitute cargo carriers. The first mission was flown on 20 June. The aircrews completed the allotted task by 18 September. Six weeks later the squadron moved to Dudhkundi, India, and then to Kanchrapara on 19 November.
The squadron was activated again in 1966 as the 57th Military Airlift Squadron, when it replaced another squadron providing training to strategic airlift aircrews. It continued the training mission until 2001, when it was inactivated. Two years later, it was activated with its current mission and name.
In June 2015, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs issued an Interim final rule providing presumptive service connection for post-Vietnam C-123 aircrews, maintenance staff and aeromedical evacuation crews. The VA now provides medical care and disability compensation for the recognized list of Agent Orange illnesses.
The squadron returned to the United States at end of 1943 and was disbanded at Clovis Army Air Field in January 1944. Most of the unit's aircrews became cadres for Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit at Clovis.See Mueller, p. 60 (showing B-29 units at Clovis).
John Lever, No. 6 OTU, Base Torpedo Unit, and RAAF Beaufort Torpedo Operations. Red Cliffs, Victoria: The Sunnyland Press, 1999. , pp. 80-81 The CO was Wing Commander Owen Dibbs, who earlier played a prominent role in the training of aircrews in torpedo dropping with the BTU.
Both the East and West coast Weapons Schools are responsible for Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program (SFARP) which is the first part of the Fighter Advanced Training Program (FTARP). Aircrews spend two weeks at their home station attending 18 lectures on aircraft weapons systems, tactics and F/A-18 employment from Strike Fighter Tactics Instructors (SFTI) assigned to the respective school. After completion of these lectures, aircrews spend another week flying the first five of 15 flights in the SFARP syllabus before heading to NAS Fallon, there they draw experience of the SFTIs and use Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center ranges and adversaries to hone their skills to be used in future combat operations. Both schools are also responsible for training of Forward Air Controllers (Airborne), after completion of the Tactical Air Control Party course, F/A-18F aircrews receive 17 lectures and nine flights provided by the FAC(A) instructors at the weapons school, after completion of the training, the FAC(A)s are able to coordinate weapons employment in support of close-air-support missions with friendly troops.
By the summer of 1942, Second Air Force had become primarily a heavy bomber training force and the squadron became a B-17 Replacement Training Unit (RTU) at Geiger Field. RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate (eds.), Vol. VI, p.
In addition to close air support missions, medevac helicopters flew in to evacuate the wounded, and U.S. aircrews reported that they did not receive fire while flying over the enemy's area of operations. Captain Silva and Lieutenant Adams, who were both wounded during the main battle, were also evacuated.
These four are included in the total losses from the battle. The crew abandoned the heavily damaged Japanese carrier at nightfall and she sank soon after. Amatsukaze and Tokitsukaze rescued Ryūjōs survivors and the aircrews from her returning strike force, who ditched their aircraft in the ocean nearby.
The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite" groups. In July 1943, its mission switched to acting as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were also oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Vol.
It was equipped with A-20s, A-24s, A-26s, B-25s, and P-39s. The group was reassigned to Second Air Force in early 1944 as a B-17 Flying Fortress replacement training unit. It was inactivated in early 1944 when the need for B-17 aircrews diminished.
Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.Chorley (2007), p.484 A memorial in Green Park in London was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 June 2012 to highlight the heavy casualties suffered by the aircrews during the war.
By the summer of 1942, Second Air Force had become primarily a heavy bomber training force and the squadron became a B-17 Replacement Training Unit (RTU) at Geiger Field. RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate (eds.), Vol. VI, p.
In late September 1942, after taking heavy losses, the unit was withdrawn from the area. In seven months of combat, the they lost two Hikotaichos, six Buntaichos, over 40 aircrews and more than 50 aircraft. On 1 November 1942 the unit was re- designated as the 702 Air Group.
Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In November, replacement training ended and the squadron resumed its preparation for overseas deployment. The 600th deployed to England in April 1944 aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21).
The aircrews began departing Kansas on 6 October, ferrying their aircraft to Saipan via a 6500 nautical mile route, with the last B-29 arriving on 30 October. The headquarters and staff elements flew to Saipan aboard Air Transport Command Douglas C-54 Skymaster aircraft.Stewart et al., p.
Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, p. xxxvi In November, replacement training ended and the squadron resumed its preparation for overseas deployment. The 602d deployed to England in April 1944 aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21).
In January 1976, VF-101 began operating and instructing aircrews and maintainers in the F-14 Tomcat. In 1975 and 1976 the squadron was awarded the CNO Aviation Safety Award and in November 1976 the unit received its fourth Safety Citation due to 36 continuous months without accident.
Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In November, replacement training ended and the squadron resumed its preparation for overseas deployment. The 603d deployed to England in April 1944 aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21).
The 755th Operations Support Squadron supports 55th Electronic Combat Group combat missions and contingency taskings. The 755 OSS performs command and control warfare analysis, targeting, and intelligence support and directs operational support functions including weapons and tactics training for all U.S. Air Force EC-130H Compass Call aircrews.
On 1 October 1977 the 336th Air Refueling Squadron began standing permanent alert duty with the active duty bombardment wing at March, a duty which continued until cancellation of Strategic Air Command (SAC) alert on 27 September 1991. Won the wing navigation trophy at the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competitions in 1983 and 1985 and the Saunders Trophy in 1985. Deployed aircraft and volunteer aircrews and other personnel to Saudi Arabia in support of Desert Shield, beginning August 1990. The 336th ARS went on active duty in December 1990 and two squadron aircrews were among the first refuelers to launch on the first day of the Southwest Asia War (Desert Storm) against Iraq.
In its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations, the Department of Defense recommended relocating the 137th Airlift Wing to Tinker Air Force Base and associate with the 507th Air Refueling Wing of Air Force Reserve Command. The squadron's C-130H aircraft would be distributed to the 136th Airlift Wing at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas (4 aircraft), and the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, Missouri (4 aircraft). The other elements of the wing's expeditionary combat support would remain in place at Will Rogers. Beginning in October 2008, the 185th Air Refueling Squadron aircrews jointly operated the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft at Tinker with the aircrews of the Air Force Reserve 465th Air Refueling Squadron.
The C.VIII variant was developed with the intention of providing an operational trainer for aircrews nearing the end of their training with particular emphasis on the observers' curriculum of gunnery, observation, radio and photography. The aircraft was close to standards applicable to full military operation but could also be operated economically.
From 30 December 1990 through 6 July 1991, the wing deployed C-130s and associated aircrews and support personnel for operations in Southwest Asia, and from 8 June through 1 July 1991 provided airlift and aeromedical airlift for the evacuation of Clark Air Base, Philippines, after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
As a combat mapping squadron, the unit's aircrews flew over Japanese held islands photographing and mapping the terrain and enemy positions. The 86th prepared the way for the taking of the Marshall Islands, Wake, Saipan. Guam, and Iwo Jima. Finally, in 1944, the squadron made the first photographic mosaics of Tokyo.
The Group's aircraft and many of its aircrews took part in the 1942 Doolittle Raid on Imperial Japan. During World War II the 17th Bomb Group was the only combat organization to fight all three of the Axis powers (Japan, Italy, and Germany) on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe).
682Maurer, Combat Units, p. 285 The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups"Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi The squadron became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversize units, however their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews.
682Maurer, Combat Units, p. 285 The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups"Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi The squadron became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversize units, however their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews.
This resulted in the aircraft rolling onto its back and descending into a spin. Civil Air Patrol was alerted and Maryland Wing aircrews spotted the B-52's co-pilot, who had ejected, Capt. Parker Peedin, about two miles from Grantsville, MD; and directed ground teams to rescue. The pilot, Maj.
Having trained its last AV-8A/C pilot in March 1985, VMAT-203's exclusive mission then became the training of AV-8B aircrews and maintenance personnel. An aircraft from the squadron crashed on December 29, 2008 near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The pilot was killed in the crash.
However, modern military aircraft are still equipped with HF radios, and many military aircrews still use MARS Phone Patches as a backup or substitute to Satellite Communications. The USAF MARS Phone Patch Net provides 24/7 HF Radio Phone Patch service to all branches of United States military aircraft worldwide.
Pre- flight lavatory relief was both physically and psychologically encouraged by the prospect of a long flight ahead. During the war, the allied aircrews developed the superstition of "wheel pissing." The wheel pissing took place prior to any mission. The crew would urinate on the tail wheel prior to each mission.
Fort Campbell had a children's theatre program until it closed down in 1983. On December 12, 1985, 246 servicemembers died with eight aircrews shortly after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, during a return from peacekeeping duties in Egypt. A memorial grove of trees and monument are near the post museum.
Wing aircrews flew people and supplies into and out of embattled Bosnia. The Aircraft Maintenance Shop (building 222) was also finished in 1996. Tragedy came to the wing again in 1997 when a 440th C-130H (AF Ser. No. 88-4408) crashed while attempting to land at Tegucigalpa Airport in Honduras.
The 27th Transport Squadron was activated in early 1942 as one of the original five squadrons of the 89th Transport Group.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 154–155 The squadron acted as a replacement training unitReplacement Training Units were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews Craven, & Cate, (eds.) Vol. VI, p.
This resulted in more than one and three quarter million maps that were distributed to combatants – principally aircrews, but also special forces such as commandos and SOE personnel. As the initiator of this vital programme, and in his subsequent service until 1943, Hutton was the key personality in this effort.
Squadron TBMs were launched from away (well beyond normal range) to strike the fleet. The TBMs struck the retiring Japanese ships, scoring hits on a battleship and two cruisers. All the squadron's aircraft returned, completing a round trip. Seven Navy Crosses were awarded to VT-11 aircrews during this campaign.
Project 2.9 NUCLEAR RADIATION RECEIVED BY AIRCREWS FIRING THE MB-1 ROCKET. The Montana Air National Guard F-89J that launched the live Genie. While in service with the U.S. Air Force, the Genie was carried operationally on the F-89 Scorpion, F-101B Voodoo, and the F-106 Delta Dart.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established numerous airfields in Texas for training pilots and aircrews. The amount of available land and the temperate climate made Texas a prime location for year-round military training. By the end of the war, 65 Army airfields were built in the state.
It operated as a replacement training unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, p. xxxvi In 1943, the 338th Group and its squadrons standardized training with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, although the squadron also operated a few Curtiss P-40 Warhawks.
The squadron conducted replacement training from August 1942 – November 1943 and flew evacuation missions and light transport services for ground forces in Burma from 13 November 1944 – 10 May 1945. It provided airborne radar surveillance from 1962–1969 and rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from c. 4 April 1965 – c. December 1969.
The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups"Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In August 1943, the unit's mission changed to being a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were an oversized units. Their mission, however was to train individual pilots or aircrews.
57–60; Crave, pp. 449–450; Gillison, p. 519. As the fires raged on Lexington, several of her aircrews requested to fly their aircraft to Yorktown, but Sherman refused (Lundstrom 2006, p. 560). The names of those killed from Lexingtons crew, including from the air squadrons, are recorded in Hoehling, pp. 201–205.
Subsequently, the squadron had its aircrews posted to various RAF night fighter and signal schools for theatre indoctrination. Meanwhile, as there was no sign of the P-61s. the pilots kept up their flight time on Cessna UC-78s and de Havilland Mosquitoes. The squadron was moved to RAF Scorton on 6 May.
OTUs were oversized parent units that provided cadres for "satellite groups."Craven & Cate, p. xxxvi In late 1943 the squadron moved to Morris Field, North Carolina and its mission changed to replacement training of individual pilots and aircrews. Just before disbanding, the squadron began to convert to North American B-25 Mitchells.
In addition, the squadron trained for strategic bombardment missions. From May 1968 through June 1975, the squadron provided aircrews to support SAC operations in Southeast Asia. In July 1977, the squadron began to draw down in anticipation of the closing of Kinchloe, and it was inactivated when the base closed in September 1977.
The navigator sat behind the pilot and access in the cockpit required folding down the seats. Once in place, the crew had almost no room to move and were typically uncomfortable during long missions. Aircrews referred to the Hampden by various nicknames due to this, such as Flying Suitcase, Panhandle, and Flying Tadpole.
On arrival in England, half of the 401st group's aircrews were immediately reassigned to the 351st Bombardment Group. The rest of the squadron became part of Eighth Air Force at RAF Deenethorpe. The 612th became part of the 92d Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-S.
The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups" Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In August 1943, the unit's mission changed to being a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were an oversized units. Their mission, however was to train individual pilots or aircrews.
The movement of the group followed the conversion of Alexandria from an air support training base to a heavy bomber training base and its transfer from Third to Second Air Force. At Alexandria, it served as a Replacement Training Unit for aircrews flying the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.Maurer, Combat Units, p.
Activated as part of Objective Organization adoption by 437 AW in October 1991. Assumed control of operational squadrons. Routinely deployed aircraft and aircrews in support of humanitarian and contingency operations in the Balkans, Southwest Asia, Africa, Russia, and provided disaster relief support, 1992–2001. Supported Global War on Terrorism contingencies from October 2001–.
The unit rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from 1967 to 1973. In 1971 SAC decided to maintain a permanent tanker presence in the Pacific and the squadron moved to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The squadron supported the tanker task force at Kadena (Giant Bear) and reconnaissance operations (Rivet Joint and Cobra Ball).
Japanese paratroopers began the invasion of Sumatra on 13 February. Hurricanes destroyed six Japanese transport ships on 14 February but lost seven aircraft in the process. On 18 February, the remaining Allied aircraft and aircrews moved to Java, with only 18 serviceable Hurricanes out of the original 99.Derry and Robinson, p.
In the summer of 2008, two C-130 aircraft and aircrews deployed to Southwest Asia. Other units within the 302d have also deployed, including the 302d Security Forces Squadron, which deployed Airmen in the summer of 2008. Later in the spring of 2009, members of the 302d Civil Engineer Squadron deployed as well.
The association was formed by active-duty naval aviators in 1956, eventually growing into a national organization headquartered in San Diego, California. During the Vietnam War, the annual Tailhook reunion and symposium also served to provide opportunities for aircrews from the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets to exchange information about events in Southeast Asia.
The DDS is linked with the Tactical Air Crew Training System (TACTS) to provide a computerized record of the tactics employed by individual aircrews to employ and to evaluate the effectiveness of each maneuver. The facility is also home to the British Joint Helicopter Force (US) which is part of Joint Helicopter Command.
The 390 FS also deployed aircraft and aircrews to Turkey and Saudi Arabia from, 10 January–c. 11 September 1992. It was redesignated the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron again on 27 September 2010. The squadron was located at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington and flew EA-6B Prowlers alongside VAQ-129.
The group flies the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker. Its mission is to train and equip combat ready aircrews and support personnel to perform worldwide air refueling and airlift. Combat ready intelligence technical support is also available for worldwide assignment. The group supports state and local contingencies when directed by the Governor of Alabama.
An HS-85 SH-3 Sea King conducting anti- submarine warfare training. HSC-85 aircrews flying the MH-60S conduct aerial fire fighting support On July 1, 1970, the GOLDEN GATERS of Helicopter Anti- Submarine Squadron EIGHT FIVE (HS-85) were established. Operating out of NAS Alameda, HS-85 flew the Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King, and later the SH-3D and SH-3H, providing logistics support to the Pacific Fleet and serving as a repository of anti-submarine experience and talent for aircrews and maintainers of the Navy Reserve. In 1993 HS-85 moved from NAS Alameda to NAS North Island in San Diego, CA. In October 1994 HS-85 was re-designated as HC-85 and assimilated into HELWINGRES while retaining the GOLDEN GATERS moniker.
While serving in the RAF, Roelfzema flew with pilots and aircrews from other nations that had become occupied by Nazi Germany, whom he saw as comrades in arms. Years later he came to realize that working with Danes, Poles and others gave him a broader sense of the world which he came to appreciate.
The 94th Operations group is the flying component of the 94th Airlift Wing. Its primary mission is to train C-130H aircrews for the United States Air Force – active duty, guard and reserve components. Its second mission is to maintain combat ready units to deploy on short notice to support contingencies anywhere in the world.
SFWSL logo Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic (SFWSL), is a weapons school based at NAS Oceana which teaches advanced weapons and tactics training to United States Atlantic Fleet F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18 Super Hornet squadron aircrews. Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific at NAS Lemoore is the United States Pacific Fleet equivalent.
379 The group initially flew a mix of Bell P-39 Airacobras, Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and North American P-51 Mustangs. The group's mission was to act as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews following their graduation from flight school.
For the next three years the 49th deployed to RAF Mildenhall and RAF Upper Heyford, England, in support of NATO exercises and RAF bombing competitions. Then in February 1954, the squadron entered the "jet age" by receiving the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. Shortly after achieving combat-ready status, aircrews began performing alert and deploying abroad.
In January 1976, the squadron moved with the 601st Tactical Control Wing to Sembach Air Base, West Germany. In May 1981, it added search and rescue missions to its tasks. In 1984, it lost all OV-10 aircraft, squadron aircrews ferrying them to George AFB, Calif, June–August 1984. squadron inactivated on 30 September 1984.
It also tested incendiary bombs and bombing techniques at the ranges of Las Vegas Army Air Field. In February 1943 the squadron was alerted for overseas movement. Aircrews trained with B-25s at Hammer Field and McClellan Field in California before the air echelon departed for its new assignment on 6 March.Cohn, et al.
25 July 1968, the squadron transferred to McChord Air Force Base, Washington, where it was redesignated as the 313th Military Airlift Squadron as part of the 939th Military Airlift Group. At McChord, it flew the Lockheed C-141A Starlifter and with a global strategic mission, 313th aircrews saw much service providing airlift to Southeast Asia.
By the summer of 1942, Second Air Force had become primarily a heavy bomber training force and the squadron, called the 391st Bombardment Squadron since May, became a B-17 Replacement Training Unit (RTU) at Geiger Field. RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate (eds.), Vol.
On arrival in England, half of the 401st Group's aircrews were immediately reassigned to the 351st Bombardment Group. The rest of the squadron became part of Eighth Air Force at RAF Deenethorpe. The 615th became part of the 92d Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. The group's tail code was Triangle-S.
On arrival in England, half of the 401st Group's aircrews were immediately reassigned to the 351st Bombardment Group. The rest of the squadron became part of the Eighth Air Force at RAF Deenethorpe. The 614th became part of the 92d Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-S.
On 1 August 1961 the 3908th Strategic Standardization Group that provided command level standardization/evaluation of SAC aircrews merged with the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group, with the 1CEVG Radar Bomb Scoring Division acquiring the previous RBS Group's personnel, electronic equipment, and mission. 1CEVG RBS personnel managed Combat Skyspot operations during the Vietnam War.
During Operation Desert Shield, the squadron received orders for a partial activation on 20 December 1990. All aircraft, aircrews and a number of support personnel were dispatched to the newest forward operating base at Cairo West Airport, Egypt on 27–29 December 1990. They became the basis for the 1706th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional).
In response to an issue of "crew fatigue" over this incident, the RAF approved an uplift of trained aircrews for the C130J from 20 to 28. In March 2020, the squadron was awarded the right to emblazon a battle honour on its squadron standard, recognising its role in War in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014.
The German Air Force also conducts a Fighter Weapons Instructor Course for the Tornado. Aircrews for this course come to Holloman for about six months. As of November 2006 there are 650 German military personnel and 25 Tornado aircraft assigned to Holloman AFB. There are numerous reasons the German Air Force trains at Holloman.
Volunteer aircrews also supported military operations in the Dominican Republic in May 1965. Tragedy struck the wing on 5 June 1965 when a C-119 (Flight Number 680) under the command of Maj. Louis Giuntoli was lost without a trace in the infamous Bermuda Triangle area. Nine other wing members were on the plane.
During Operation Desert Shield, the squadron received orders for a partial activation on 20 December 1990. All aircraft, aircrews and a number of support personnel were dispatched to the newest forward operating base at Cairo West Airport, Egypt on 27–29 December 1990. They became the basis for the 1706th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional).
Air Warrior was the U.S. Army’s next-generation aircrew ensemble, with the final product intended to provide life support, ballistic protection, and nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protection in mission-configurable modules, and was under development with interoperability in mind. The system consists of components integrated to maximize safe aircraft operation and sustain aircrews throughout the flight environment.
Hornfischer, Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, p. cxx The most notable casualties were the commanders of the first two strikes - Shigeharu Murata and Mamoru Seki. Forty-nine percent of the Japanese torpedo bomber aircrews involved in the battle were killed, along with 39% of the dive bomber crews and 20% of the fighter pilots.Frank, Guadalcanal, pp.
All along, Allison has been planning a mass escape. He seizes the machine gun guarding the front gate, then holds off the guards while his comrades escape. The POWs race to the airfield, overcome the aircrews there, and fly off in a squadron of bombers preparing for their nightly raid. Allison is killed by a grenade.
Based on inaccurate and unintentionally exaggerated reports from the involved aircrews, Yamamoto halted the attacks on 16 April, believing the operation to be a success. The operation, however, did not significantly delay Allied preparations for further offensives in the South Pacific area. Yamamoto was killed shortly thereafter while traveling to congratulate units that had participated in the operation.
EC-121 Warning Star The 965th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron was activated in August 1955 as part of the at McClellan Air Force Base, California. It flew long range surveillance, beginning in the late 1950s and rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from, after about 4 April 1965 until it was inactivated in June 1971.
Five of the downed torpedo bombers were from Zuikaku and the other two were from Shōkaku, as was the damaged torpedo plane. The dive bomber was from Zuikaku. The dead Japanese aircrews included the commanding officer of Zuikaku's torpedo bomber squadron, Lieutenant Yoshiaki Tsubota, and two division leaders, Lieutenants Yoshito Murakami (Zuikaku) and Tsutomu Hagiwara (Shokaku).
The squadron continued the mission of strategic bombardment training to meet SAC commitments. In June 1968, squadron aircrews began deploying to support Operation Arc Light and Linebacker missions in Southeast Asia. These deployments continued until 1975. The squadron began preparing for a conventional warfare role in 1988, although it maintained B-52s on nuclear alert until September 1991.
The squadron deployed aircrews and aircraft to support combat operations in Southeast Asia from the mid 1960s through the early 1970s. It also supported numerous contingency operations from its bases in the northern United States and forward operating locations until moving to Scott in 2009 and becoming an active associate unit of the Illinois Air National Guard.
Deaile, pp. 175–176 In March 1951, the squadron moved to Forbes Air Force Base, where it served primarily as a training unit. In May, it began serving as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and mechanics of newly-activating units. The squadron help organize and train the 376th, 308th, and 310th Bombardment Wings.
28 Chicago AICs monitored up to 50 North Vietnamese MiGs simultaneously. On the Tonkin Gulf PIRAZ station, successful AICs concentrated on providing threat information, collecting and sorting tactical information as it developed, and informing the Combat Air Patrols (or CAP) about the threat location and activities while letting aircrews deal with bearing drift and controlling their headings.
The 471st Bombardment Group was activated at Alexandria Army Air Base, Louisiana in the spring of 1943 with the 805th, 806th, 807th, and 808th Bombardment Squadrons assigned.Maurer, Combat Units, p. 345 The group operated as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator replacement training unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.
The squadron was again activated as a special operations airlift unit at Hurlburt Field with a mission of training C-123 Provider aircrews for combat in the Viet Nam War in 1964. In 1966, the 317th moved to England AFB and a few months later converted to training crews involved in other forms of special air warfare until 1973.
The 396th Bombardment Group is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was active during World War II as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress operational training unit, training newly organized units, then as a replacement training unit for aircrews. It was inactivated in 1944 in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units..
Deaile, pp. 175–176 In March 1951, the squadron moved to Forbes Air Force Base, where it served primarily as a training unit. In May, it began serving as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and mechanics of newly-activating units. The squadron help organize and train the 376th, 308th, and 310th Bombardment Wings.
Deaile, pp. 175–176 In March 1951, the squadron moved to Forbes Air Force Base, where it served primarily as a training unit. In May, it began serving as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and mechanics of newly-activating units. The squadron help organize and train the 376th, 308th, and 310th Bombardment Wings.
215 RTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots and aircrews. Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi The squadron relocated to several bases in Florida before settling at Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana in November 1943. However, standard military units like the 481st, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not proving well adapted to the training mission.
After repairs and the removal of her armament and other modifications at the dockyard at Rosyth, Blencathra reentered service in October 1945 as a target ship in the North Sea for the training of aircrews in the identification and targeting of ships. Withdrawn from this duty in June 1948, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve in July 1948.
12 and SAC wanted to replace it with a permanent unit. The 922d was assigned to the newly activated 17th wing.Ravenstein, Combat Wings, pp. 32–33 The squadron deployed aircraft and aircrews to the Western Pacific support combat operations of deployed SAC units and tactical aircraft over Indochina during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975.
By 1963, these wings had either converted to the B-52 or been reassigned. Other wings stationed in Georgia, North Carolina and Puerto Rico and flying the B-52 were assigned to the division before it was inactivated. The division's wings maintained half their combat ready aircraft on alert, except when their aircraft or aircrews were deployed.
Although he was now an Air Vice Marshal, Embry continued to fly on operations where possible, usually as a 'wingman' in a formation and flying under the name of "Wing Commander Smith". By piloting each type of aircraft in his service, he felt better able to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the tools available to his aircrews.
Ravenstein, p. 12. The squadron conducted RF-4C Phantom II training for tactical reconnaissance aircrews. The squadron was inactivated in 1971 due to reduced training requirements, and its aircraft assigned to the 33d Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron. In 1982, the squadron became the 31st Tactical Training Squadron and was activated at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida.
The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 331st Fighter Squadron, one of the three original squadrons of the 329th Fighter Group.Maurer, Combat Units, p. 210 The squadron served under IV Fighter Command as a Lockheed P-38 Lightning Replacement Training Unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.
The missiles found their mark striking multiple Iraqi targets including six of President Saddam Hussein's palaces, several Republican Guard barracks, and the Ministries of Defense and Military Industry. The following evening, two more B-52 crews launched 16 more CALCMs. Over a two-night period aircrews from the 2nd and 5th Bomb Wings launched a total of 90 CALCMs.
EA-6B launches an AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile at NAS Point Mugu in 1999 Its deployments took VAQ-128 aircrews to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sicily and Japan in support of Operations Southern Watch, Desert Fox, Northern Watch and Iraqi Freedom. It returned from its final deployment in January 2004, and was deactivated in September of that year.
Ravenstein, Combat Wings, p. 271 In 1966 the squadron deployed aircraft and aircrews to the Pacific to support Operation Arc Light and Operation Young Tiger. In April 1966 the 494th wing was discontinued as SAC began to retire its older B-52s and withdraw its forces from areas far from the borders of the United States.
The 472d Bombardment Squadron was activated in the summer of 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 334th Bombardment Group at Greenville AAB, South Carolina.Maurer, Combat Units, p. 214 It operated as a North American B-25 Mitchell replacement training unit. Replacement training units weroversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.
The squadron responded to the Cuban Missile Crisis and provided Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and aircrews to support the Viet Nam War. It was inactivated on 1 November 1981 and replaced by a squadron flying McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders. The two squadrons were consolidated in September 1985 but the consolidated squadron has not been active since.
In the 1990s, the U.S. DoD gave a contract to AAI Corporation along with Israeli company Malat. The U.S. Navy bought the AAI Pioneer UAV that AAI and Malat developed jointly. Many of these UAVs saw service in the 1991 Gulf War. UAVs demonstrated the possibility of cheaper, more capable fighting machines, deployable without risk to aircrews.
In 1971, became a training organization for Republic of Vietnam Air Force C-123 aircrews. Inactivated in March 1972. Reactivated in 1973 as a heavy transport wing in the Air Force Reserve, operating the C-141 Starlifter aircraft, stationed alongside and using the same airframes as the active-duty 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina.
The aircrews were trained in low-altitude night operations in which the pilot, navigator, and bombardier worked together to guide the aircraft to the drop zone (DZ). This often necessitated traversing mountainous terrain followed by descent into deep valleys, in darkness, guided in the final approach by the eyes of the bombardier and the hands of the pilot.
Francillon 1982, p. 294. 109 were produced. The F-94A was in operational service for only a brief time as it was originally built, and was not received well by its aircrews. Primarily, this was due to the unreliability of its J33 engine, which caused many ground aborts and was deemed by the crews to be unsafe.
Five aircraft were impressed into service with the Royal Air Force as tricycle-undercarriage trainers for aircrews slated to man the American-made Douglas Boston. Another two were used by the government for various liaison duties but retained their civilian markings. A trainer version of the Cygnet II was designed with an open cockpit as the GAL.45 Owlet.
The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups."Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi The squadron's time as an OTU was brief and it soon became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were also oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews.
The following year it was consolidated with the World War I squadron. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron engaged in antisubmarine patrols in the Atlantic. In 1942 it began to train aircrews and participate in military exercises with Army ground forces. The squadron was disbanded in 1944 in a major reorganization of the Army Air Forces.
The memorial to aircrews from the airfield who were lost during World War 2. The reason for the Mosquito aeroplane is that many squadrons based at the airfield during WW2 had re-equipped with the type. RAF Bradwell Bay is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Maldon, Essex, England and south west of West Mersea, Essex.
The QCW-05 is intended to be PLA's frontline personal defence weapon for personnel in non-combat roles such as vehicle crews and aircrews who would normally be confined to quarters where a full assault rifle would be unwieldy and by specialised operation units such as the People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces and People's Armed Police.
Cantwell, pp. 96–97 The wing trained at Atterbury until January 1952, when it moved to Lawson Air Force Base, Georgia. It flew in military exercises and flew missions to support Army airborne forces training at Fort Benning. In September, the wing began to provide combat crew training for aircrews being assigned to C-46 units with Far East Air Forces.
In addition, the 363d provided combat crew training for reconnaissance aircrews. In July 1954, the wing began to receive Martin RB-57A Canberra aircraft and achieved initial operational capability before the month was over. These were the first operational RB-57As in the Air Force, although the 345th Bombardment Wing had received a handful earlier to conduct transition training for its crews.Knaack, p.
As part of the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, the 337th conducts testing of various upgrades to the B-1, as well as trains aircrews to operate and maintain the upgraded aircraft. The squadron has been currently working on the increasing the B-1's weapons payload, attempting to increase the bomber's ability to deliver weapons into heavily defended areas.
The figure was first quoted in the relevant Australian Official War History and has been reproduced in many publications since.Lewis & Ingman (2010) The actual number of aerial evacuees passing through Broome at this time is estimated to have been only 1,350. Most of these were military personnel. There were approximately 250 Dutch civilian refugees, most of whom were family members of Dutch aircrews.
The Challis-Mackay region experienced rather thorough damage, with 11 commercial buildings and 39 homes with major damage; while another 200 houses were damaged, minor to moderate. The reconnaissance photos helped emergency response crews locate and evaluate the damage. Idaho aircrews excelled in their military mission as well. Two Idaho fliers were named "Best Aerial Reconnaissance Aircrew" at an international competition.
Being close to Hollywood and with such a large turnover of service personnel, the base attracted a lot of Hollywood celebrities who put on shows at the base. Preflight training at the SAAAB peaked in the latter part of 1943. Pilot class 44D, the largest, completed training in October 1943. By then, the Army Air Forces had enough aircrews for the foreseeable future.
His highest grade was a major general. Schools under his command trained many of the aircrews who served in all theaters of World War II. After retiring from the army, he became a businessman. Cousins died in 1964 and he was memorialized as an air pioneer who helped bring American air power from it beginnings to its power in World War II.
By January 1943, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel, or Australians serving in the RAF, made up almost 90% of the aircrews in the squadron (even though it was not officially an RAAF "Article XV squadron"). At the time, the Australian personnel included the commanding officer, Wing Commander Harley Stumm.George Odgers, 1968 (orig. 1957), Australia in the War of 1939–1945.
683Maurer, Combat Units, p. 285 The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups"Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In December, the squadron moved to Charleston Army Air Base, South Carolina, where it became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversize units, however their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews.
The 471st Bombardment Squadron was activated in the summer of 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 334th Bombardment Group at Greenville AAB, South Carolina.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 214 It operated as a North American B-25 Mitchell replacement training unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.
Despite the lack of protective armour, Polish aircrews often conducted attacks upon German columns while flying at low altitudes, which made their aircraft particularly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. Reportedly, around twenty aircraft were lost in crash landings on the improvised and rough airfields. During 1939, around 120 PZL.23s (86 per cent of the Polish Air Force's inventory) were destroyed.
RTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews for service in combat theaters.Craven & Cate, introduction, p. xxxvi The squadron moved its operations several times, arriving at Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri in January 1944. However, the Army Air Forces was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not proving well adapted to the training mission.
The MB 3 design could have been developed into a good fighter aircraft. Martin felt the personal loss of his best friend and partner and "many consider that it was this painful tragedy that really fired the passionate interest in the safety of aircrews, which was later to become the very pivot of his life".Teeuwen, Jaap. "Martin-Baker MB 5".
RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters and assignment to an operational group.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In January 1944, the squadron and the 546th Fighter Squadron moved to Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey, and the 87th group's headquarters and other squadrons transferred to Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp.
When developing new tactics, the 422nd TES works closely with the USAF Weapons School. However, ultimately, the 422d TES is responsible for the development and testing of all new tactics for every CAF fighter Mission Design Series. The squadron supports other mission areas, to include foreign materiel exploitation and field visits to instruct operational aircrews on new systems and tactics.
Approximately, 250 aviation personnel comprise the facility's full- time staff, augmented by additional part-time Coast Guard Reserve and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel. CGAS Atlantic City also provides aircrews and aircraft to the Washington, D.C. area as part of Operation Noble Eagle, the Department of Defense USNORTHCOM / NORAD mission to protect U.S. airspace and, in this case, specifically around the nation's capital.
His efforts resulted in the execution of well over 10,000 kinetic strikes in Iraq and Syria by aircrews from 16 partner nations, which served to halt ISIL's advance and enabled the indigenous forces to retake over 17,000 square kilometers of territory previously held by the enemy. Austin's retirement ceremony took place at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall on April 5, 2016.
Craven, & Cate, Vol. VI, Men & Planes. p. xxxvi The unit moved to Charleston Army Air Field, South Carolina in late December, where it became part of First Air Force and changed its mission to that of a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs units were likewise oversize units, but their mission was to train aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.
Even as close air support began during World War I, there were pioneer attempts to direct the trench strafing by the ground troops marking their positions by laying out signal panels on the ground, firing flares, or lighting smoke signals. Aircrews had difficulty communicating with the ground troops; they would drop messages or use messenger pigeons.Hallion, pp. 20 - 21, 38 - 40.
Air Station Detroit conducts flights in support of domestic icebreaking operations, Marine Environmental Protection (MEP), and search and rescue missions. Most notably they responded to several rescue missions during Hurricane Katrina of 2005. Today they support 30 Coast Guard shore units, five cutters, as well as federal, state, local, and Canadian government agencies. Detroit aircrews handle over 200 rescues annually.
The squadron continued to perform airlift operations in the Pacific area after the end of hostilities in Korea. In 1954, it flew airlift support for French forces fighting the Viet Minh in French Indochina. During the Vietnam War, the squadron deployed aircrews and aircraft to Southeast Asia until it was inactivated in 1970, earning a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
In this role he trained aircrews in carrier landing techniques and introduced the new replacement crews to night carrier landings. He also created and taught the Phase One LSO School at NAS Oceana. Totushek decided to resign his regular commission and became a reserve officer, serving in several reserve squadrons. In 1975, he joined VC-12 flying a four different A4 Skyhawk models.
Concentration on the qualifications of aircrews, munitions load crews and the attainment of a C-3 combat readiness rating were the primary objectives for 1971. The group achieved C-3 on 30 August, a first for F-100D-equipped Air Guard units. January 1972 saw the squadron in extensive practice for their pending 9th Air Force Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI).
At Bergstrom, it concentrated on maintaining tactical reconnaissance mission forces capable of meeting worldwide operational requirements. It conducted reconnaissance training of Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and allied reconnaissance aircrews between 1982 and 1989. The wing acted as an advisor to Air National Guard reconnaissance units until 1992. It performed reconnaissance missions supporting the US Customs Service from 1983 until 1992.
In August 1943, the command was redesignated I Bomber Command and reassigned to First Air Force. It continued to oversee antisubmarine units in the United States through October 1943 and overseas through December. It began to train bomber crews in early 1944, when Replacement Training UnitsReplacement Training Units were oversized units to train individual pilots or aircrews. Craven & Cate, Introduction, p.
Deaile, pp. 175–176 In March 1951, the wing moved to Forbes Air Force Base, where it served primarily as a training unit. In May, it began serving as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and mechanics of newly-activating units. The 376th Bombardment Wing was the first new Superfortress wing trained by the 90th, activating on 1 June 1951.
North Vietnam captured several AC-47s in 1975, and some of them are very likely to have seen combat in Cambodia. In December 1984 and January 1985, the United States supplied two AC-47D gunships to the El Salvador Air Force (FAS) and trained aircrews to operate the system.А. Кувшинников. "Драконы" расправляют крылья // "Известия", № 12 (21089) от 12 января 1985. стр.
One of the drawbacks of standard IRCM systems is that they broadcast a bright source of infrared. If the modulation of the signal is not effective against a particular seeker system, the IRCM will enhance the ability of the missile to track the aircraft. The aircrews typically brief about potential threats and choose an IRCM modulation that will be effective against likely threats.
Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews. However, standard military units, like the 29th Group, were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, and were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, the AAF adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.Goss, p.
Flight Sergeant (Discip) Powell inspected them and weeded out those he felt other squadrons had off-loaded.. The aircrews started to arrive from 24 March. On 24 March Gibson travelled to Burhill near Weybridge for his first meeting with Barnes Wallis. Wallis discovered Gibson had not been cleared for a full briefing and therefore could not be told the targets.
The Civil Air Patrol performs emergency services missions, including search and rescue (SAR) missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Aircrews can perform visual and electronic searches, while ground teams home in on the search target with direction finding equipment. After a disaster, Civil Air Patrol personnel provide humanitarian support, including air/ground transportation, as well as an extensive communications network.
For is actions in the Korean War, the wing received the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. Between April 1953 and September 1954, the wing aided the French Air Force in Indochina by training aircrews, evacuating wounded, and maintaining aircraft. For these actions, the wing became one of the first units in the Air Force to receive the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
The 25 IS trains and equips airborne ISR operators to fly on all AFSOC platforms to provide real-time threat warning, enhanced situational awareness, and advanced technical intelligence exploitation to AFSOC aircrews and joint special operations forces. Additionally, the 25 IS also employs a wide range of intelligence analysts, technical maintenance, and support personnel that are critical to global SOF missions.
Following the destruction of the World Trade Center, the wing began providing around-the-clock air refueling of Combat Air Patrol fighter aircraft and initiated 24-hour ground alert operations in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The wing also began a series of extended Operation Enduring Freedom deployments for aircrews and maintainers as well as combat support and medical personnel.
EF-111A Raven in flight The squadron conducted replacement training from, 1 July 1974 – c. 18 August 1976. It trained EF-111A Raven aircrews in electronic countermeasures from, 15 December 1982 – 4 August 1992. The 390th again saw combat when it jammed radar sites during the invasion of Panama in December 1989, and the Gulf War from, 17 January 1991 – 6 March 1991.
1995 brought the new CH146 Griffon with its increased capabilities. Squadron cadre aircrews and technicians were sent to the Bell Training Academy in Forth Worth Texas to get qualified on this new platform. This training has since been received at 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron. The Wildcats began receiving their nine aircraft one at a time over the summer months.
Neither the destroyers nor the Luftwaffe squadrons had been told of the other's presence, although information had been passed to the relevant commands. By the time the risks became apparent, it was too late to advise aircrews. The official German investigation showed that there had been inadequate communication between the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine. None of the responsible officers were called to account.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) was founded on 1 April 1918, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. On the same day a new flying training unit was formed at Old Sarum to become the airfield's principal resident unit. This was 11 Training Depot Station, whose task was the operational training of fresh aircrews.
The initial step was taking the mess section of the 414th Squadron to Biskra and within two days selected ground crews were being flown in. The remainder were at Oran awaiting rail transportation. The same day that the selected personnel were moving into the desert the aircrews began their move. Two squadrons moved to Blida and the others to Maison Blanche.
Aircrews of the 21st also strafed the airfields which the Japanese used for their increasingly dangerous kamikaze attacks. The 21 FG flew its last combat mission 14 August 1945, about two weeks before the official Japanese capitulation on 2 September. The group received the Distinguished Unit Citation on 13 November 1945 specifically for its outstanding conduct during the earlier raid on Nakajima.
The Dakota is still at Gatow, inside the German Air Force barracks. An RAF Handley Page Hastings In November 1948, the latest RAF transport aircraft, the Handley Page Hastings, was added to the squadrons flying into RAF Gatow and some aircrews and aircraft were redeployed to train replacement aircrews. Many of these were based at RAF Schleswigland, near Jagel, which is currently used by the German Air Force and the Marineflieger. A Hastings aircraft, which served on the airlift and was later RAF Gatow's 'gate guardian' until the station's closure, is now preserved in the Alliierten Museum. By mid-December, the RAF had landed 100,000 tons of supplies. In April 1949, commercial airline companies involved in the airlift were formed into a Civil Airlift Division (co-ordinated by British European Airways) to operate under RAF control.
B-17s of the 615th Bomb Squadron at Deenethorpe. B-17G Serial 43-338077 is in the foreground On arrival in England, half of the group's aircrews were immediately reassigned to the 351st Bombardment Group. The rest of the group became part of Eighth Air Force at RAF Deenethorpe. The 401st was assigned to the 92d Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division.
Other than the destroyer screen, the only force Halsey had available were the carrier airgroups on and . Rabaul was a heavily fortified port, with five airfields and extensive anti- aircraft batteries. Other than the surprise raid at Pearl Harbor, no mission against such a target had ever been accomplished with carrier aircraft. It was highly dangerous to the aircrews, and to the carriers as well.
The 464th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 382d Bombardment Group at Camp Anza, California, where it was inactivated on 4 January 1946. From 1942 the squadron served as a replacement training unit for heavy bomber aircrews. It was inactivated in the spring of 1944 in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units.
The 463d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 346th Bombardment Group at Kadena Airfield, Okinawa, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1946. From 1942 the squadron served as a replacement training unit for heavy bomber aircrews. It was inactivated in the spring of 1944 in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units.
The 461st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 346th Bombardment Group at Kadena Airfield, Okinawa, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1946. From 1942 the squadron served as a replacement training unit for heavy bomber aircrews. It was inactivated in the spring of 1944 in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units.
Though not known at the time, the efforts of Torpedo Eight failed to deliver a hit on the Japanese carriers. Of the Torpedo Eight aircrews, only Ensign George H. Gay, Jr. survived. About twenty minutes later Enterprises Torpedo Six made their own attack, and was met with a similar hot reception. Again, no torpedo hits were made, but five of the aircraft managed to survive the engagement.
SFTIs can also become instructors themselves at TOPGUN later in their career. Each year, a small number of aircrews do not meet TOPGUN's standards and are dropped from the course. TOPGUN trains four to six Air Intercept Controllers in each class on advanced command, control, and combat communication skills. They are completely integrated into the course and participate in most of the training missions.
Mobile lights were installed for night training. Starting in 1944 Marine aircrews used Grey Butte for training with planes from Mojave Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) this was to prepare for Aircraft carrier landings in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II during 1944 and 1945. A few Marine planes crashed at Grey Butte Airfield during this time. Training ended on October 12, 1945.
466 The support elements of the squadron departed from the Charleston, South Carolina Port of Embarkation on the in May. The squadron's aircrews remained behind to receive additional training at Peterson Field. After The squadron's Lightnings went through modifications at Dallas, Texas, they were delivered to Newark Army Air Base, New Jersey for shipment to India. The pilots then boarded transport planes for flight to India.
It was decided at about this time to re-equip the squadron with Australian- built Bristol Beauforts. To effect this change No. 6 Squadron's Hudson crews flew their aircraft back to Australia and were replaced by new aircrews equipped with Beauforts from September. During this period the squadron's ground crew were frequently used as labourers as they did not have any aircraft to maintain.Eather (2007). pp.
The only front-line unit from a Commonwealth air force to serve under BCFK was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 77 Squadron, which initially flew P-51 Mustang fighters and later converted to Gloster Meteor jets. British and Canadian aircrews also served with the RAAF. The only Royal Air Force contribution was a wing of Short Sunderland flying boats based at Iwakuni in Japan.
It was a presaging of the unit's active participation in the Vietnam War which would begin in 1966. With all-volunteer aircrews, the three 133d ATS C-97s delivered 23,000 pounds of cargo, completely collected in New Hampshire, then shipped to Saigon and Da Nang between 26 November and 1 December. After Operation Christmas Star, Air National Guard support missions to South Vietnam increased.
This was the largest air operation by the USAF snce the Vietnam War. Squadron C-141s were part of the task force that staged elements of XVIII Airborne Corps from Pope Air Force Base to Charleston Air Force Base, then airlanded them in Panama.Allen, pp. 173–174, 177 The squadron provided aircrews and planes to support Operation Desert Storm and Operations Northern and Southern Watch.
It returned to the United States after the French withdrawal from the NATO military alliance in 1966 and became a replacement training unit for RB-66 aircrews. In 1968, the squadron was re-equipped with EB-66C electronic countermeasures aircraft. The reconnaissance equipment was removed and replaced by electronic jamming equipment. The tail turret was also removed, automatic jamming equipment was fitted in its place.
The group was reactivated at Columbia in March 1943 and within a few days was renamed the 65th Reconnaissance Group. It served as a training organization for aircrews that were transitioning from observation aircraft to North American B-25 Mitchells. It moved to Florence Army Air Field later in April, and the 309th Bombardment Group continued operational and replacement training at Columbia.Maurer, Combat Units, p.
However, the U.S. and its allies gained tactical and strategic advantage. Japan's losses were greater and included dozens of aircraft and their experienced aircrews. Also, Japanese reinforcements intended for Guadalcanal were delayed and eventually delivered by warships rather than transport ships, giving the Allies more time to prepare for the Japanese counteroffensive and preventing the Japanese from landing heavy artillery, ammunition, and other supplies.
Also, a change in the ratio of crews to airplanes increased total crew requirements from sixteen to twenty-four. By 21 November 1968, the crews had formed and were ready. The aircrews left for Vietnam on 5 December; four days later, other elements of the squadron left via Lockheed C-141 Starlifters. The unit was reassigned to the 14th Special Operations Wing on 20 December 1968.
In May 1944 jurisdiction of the new base was assigned to the I Troop Carrier Command. Atterbury's mission was to train and organize C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando transport aircrews. Many Waco CG-4 glider pilots also received training at Atterbury. On 5 May 1943, the 57th Station Complement Squadron was activated on the airfield to organize military personnel and provide a station command organization.
136 Furthermore, Shōkaku was seriously damaged and unable to participate in the following month's decisive, tide-turning Battle of Midway.Toland, Rising Sun, p. 324 Finally, so many aircraft and aircrews of Carrier Division 5 were lost that IJN decided not to include Zuikaku in the operation either. Consequently, only aircraft from four of the six Kido Butai carriers were available for the invasion of Midway Island.
Construction was completed by the Americans and by May 1953, Hahn was ready to receive a fighter wing.Saunders, pp. 5–6 On Arriving at Hahn, the group participated in Exercise Monte Carlo, a staged combat employment drill to illustrate the capability of North Atlantic Treaty Organization air defense forces. During the brief operation, unit aircrews flew 124 simulated combat sorties, including 52 in one 4-hour period.
This was accomplished by using a system of visual, optical, electronic, and other sensors. During this time the aircrews accumulated over 30,000 hours of flying time and the unit deployed across both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The 163d deployed to Pisa Airport, Italy, in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor. While deployed, the unit flew as the lead unit in support of flight operations over Bosnia.
Fletcher sent the destroyers USS Hammann and Perkins to rescue the aircrews from the three aircraft. Hammann was able to recover both fighter pilots, but Perkins was unable to locate the TBD's crew. Both destroyers returned to Yorktowns task force late that evening as the task force turned away from Guadalcanal toward the southeast in order to refuel and rendezvous with Lexington the next day.Cressman, pp.
The modified aircraft were later designated KC-135Qs. The squadron frequently deployed its aircraft and aircrews and often had its entire resources deployed at various locations. Its deployments included support for Operation Arc Light from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa and deployments to Torrejon Air Base, Spain. In 1963 and in 1967 the squadron won the Frank Ellis Trophy from Fifteenth Air Force for outstanding refueling performance.
During the Korean War, the 43d sent aircrews to Far East Air Force to refuel fighter aircraft, at that time an experimental procedure. Deployed 21 March-5 June 1953 to RAF Lakenheath, England. In 1953, the 43d AREFS completed transition to new aircraft, the KC-97 Stratotanker, equipped with the recently developed Boeing flying boom. Deployed 18 September-9 December 1954 to RAF Fairford, England.
The move to Tonopah also marked a transfer to Fourth Air Force, and a mission change to become a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units like OTUs, but their mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units like the 470th, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission.
Refugees in the ghetto, improvised their own shelters, with one family surviving the bombing under a bed with a second mattress on top, mounted on two desks. Some Jews of the Shanghai ghetto took part in the resistance movement. They participated in an underground network to obtain and circulate information and were involved in some minor sabotage and in providing assistance to downed Allied aircrews.
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is one of the primary missions of HSM-73. Battlecat aircrews utilize the MH-60R's RADAR, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), sonobuoys, and ship sensors to localize, classify, track, and if necessary, attack when a submarine has been detected. Aircraft can be equipped with various types of torpedoes for this mission. Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) is another primary mission of HSM-73.
The upper wingspan was extended, while the lower wing was redesigned with reduced chord and a single main spar. "V" shaped interplane struts replaced the previous parallel struts. For this reason, British aircrews commonly referred to the D.III as the "V-strutter." After a Typenprüfung (official type test) on 26 September 1916, Albatros received an order for 400 D.III aircraft, the largest German production contract to date.
In March 1944, it was removed from combat to focus on training pathfinder aircrews and develop tactics, although its developmental work occasionally required it to fly combat missions. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated. The squadron became a reserve organization, serving as a bombardment unit from 1947–1949 and briefly as an airlift unit in 1952.
613th Squadron B-17s drop bombs on Lohne, Germany On arrival in England, half of the 401st Group's aircrews were immediately reassigned to the 351st Bombardment Group. The rest of the squadron became part of the Eighth Air Force at RAF Deenethorpe. The 613th became part of the 92d Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. The group's tail code was Triangle-S.
The 308th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated as an operational training unit (OTU) in March 1943 and served in this role until July 1943. The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups". The 308th then served as a replacement training unit (RTU) for glider crews until April 1944. RTUs were oversized units to train individual pilots or aircrews.
The first 418th Bombardment Group was activated in August 1943 at Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana. It was apparently only minimally manned and never received aircraft before it was disbanded in September.Maurer, Combat Units, p.501 The second 418th Bombardment Group was activated in March 1944 at Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico as a Replacement Training Unit for Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews.
RTUs were also oversized units, but with the mission of training individual pilots or aircrews. However, the AAF found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission in the US. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, p.
On the ground back in Pittsburgh, the maintainers and aircrews made more aircraft airworthy. The unit went into a wartime footing. Within 24 hours after the first attacks, the 171st wing was flying round-the-clock CAPs support sorties with eight Fully Mission Capable KC-135s. Before the continuous CAP missions were ended in early 2002, more than 13,000 combat missions were flown over U.S. soil.
It was the introduction of the pathfinder system. Pathfinders were groups of specially trained aircrews who flew ahead of the main raid and marked the target. Their use greatly improved the accuracy and destructiveness of raids. By early 1943, American forces were beginning to build up in large numbers in the UK. Bomber Command was joined in its bombing efforts by the Eighth Air Force.
RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 174Nelmes (1994), p. 130 No. 200 Flight began training operations with Z Special Unit immediately upon formation. Despite the priority accorded to the unit, it experienced shortages of equipment and its accommodation and maintenance facilities at Leyburn were basic. By mid-March No. 200 Flight had a strength of nine eleven-man aircrews, 450 ground crew and six B-24s.
The 9th Bomb Squadron maintains combat readiness to deliver rapid, decisive airpower on a large scale in support of conventional warfare taskings. Squadron experts provide warfighting commanders with the best in maintenance support, operational aircrews and Rockwell B-1B Lancer aircraft. The squadron repairs, services, launches, recovers and inspects 15 B-1B Lancer aircraft capable of sustained intercontinental missions and worldwide deployment/employment from forward operating locations.
The 51st FW's aircrews have flown a variety of aircraft, including the P/F-51 Mustang, F-80 Shooting Star, F-82 Twin Mustang, F-86 Sabrejet, F-94 Starfire, F-102A Delta Dagger, F-4E Phantom II, RF-4C Phantom II, F-106A Delta Dart, OV-10 Bronco, A-10 and OA-10 Thunderbolt II and several versions of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
After the fall of France and the Low Countries, the priority for MI9b became support for RAF flights over the greatly enlarged and much closer enemy territories.Hutton pp.49–58. This meant that provision of emergency food-packs for aircrews was of the utmost importance. Crockatt approved of Hutton working on this, but warned him that they would be "poaching" on the preserves of the Quartermaster general.
In the game, the player participates in the annual Strategic Air Command Bombing and Navigation Competition at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Aircrews from around the world come here to compete against each other, undertaking three missions which are monitored and points are awarded. The best aircrew then receives the Curtis E. LeMay Trophy. The player can choose between six different planes.
Efforts to reduce weight to make the aircraft suitable for carrier operations had led to the deletion of ejection seats during the design process for the Skywarrior, based on the assumption that most flights would be at high altitude. A similar arrangement with an escape tunnel had been used on the F3D Skyknight.Francillon 1979, p. 494. Aircrews began joking morbidly that "A3D" stood for "All Three Dead".
"Special Operations Command officials host physical ability stamina test for special tactics Airmen." Defense Department Documents and Publications 2010. n. pag. Web. 9/12/2010. Lexis Nexis. Galileo. Retrieved at Georgia Southern University-Henderson Library. The center also provides mission qualification for the U-28A, C-145A, C-146A, MQ-1, MQ-9, CV-22, MC-130E/H, AC-130H/U, AC-130W, RC-26 aircrews.
The board did not investigate whether any USAF institutional factors, such as a lack of crew resource management training for the involved aircrews, might have been a factor.Diehl, Silent Knights, pp. 10–13, 247. Also, the board did not attempt to determine if Wickson and May had violated any of the existing OPC rules of engagement as defined by the ATO or other written instructions.
The 94th assumed the duties of a Replacement Training Unit (RTU), providing F-4 aircrews for operational combat squadrons. In 1975, the 1st TFW moved to Langley AFB, Virginia, and began the 94 TFS flying the F-15A and F-15B Eagle, with the squadron becoming combat-ready in early 1977. In September 1992, the squadron was renamed the 94th Fighter Squadron (94 FS).
Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. Following the opening of the Pacific War in 1941, the number of Australian aircrews being transferred to the European theatre greatly decreased as the RAAF prepared to counter the armed forces of the Empire of Japan. A series of Japanese air raids greatly increased the need for a large force of combat ready pilots and aircraft in Australia.Lewis, Tom. (2003).
It was a presaging of the unit's active participation in the Vietnam War which would begin in 1966. With all-volunteer aircrews, the three 133d ATS C-97s delivered 23,000 pounds of cargo, completely collected in New Hampshire, then shipped to Saigon and Da Nang between 26 November and 1 December. After Operation Christmas Star, Air National Guard support missions to South Vietnam increased.
On 1 April 1951 the 117th Bombardment Squadron was federalized and brought to active-duty due to the Korean War. It was initially assigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC), and moved to Langley AFB, Virginia. At Langley, the squadron was assigned to the TAC 4400th Combat Crew Training Group. Its mission was the training of B-26 Invader aircrews in Tactical night intruder air operations.
Starting in January its component squadrons dispersed to separate bases in California, Oregon, and Washington. The group experienced delays and was not fully manned or equipped until March 1944, when it began operations as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) using single engine Bell P-39 Airacobras despite its designation as a two engine unit. RTUs were oversized units whose mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews.
Nimrod MR1 inflight, 1978 Operationally, each active Nimrod would form a single piece of a complex submarine detection and monitoring mission. An emphasis on real- time intelligence sharing was paramount to these operations; upon detecting a submarine, Nimrod aircrews would inform Royal Navy frigates and other NATO- aligned vessels to pursuit in an effort to continuously monitor Soviet submarines.Jefford et al. 2005, pp. 65–66.
The first trials of SmartGate began in 2002 with Qantas aircrews. The trials were expanded in 2004 to include over 1,000 Qantas platinum frequent flyers, and in 2007 it was launched to the public at Brisbane Airport. Since October 2005, Australia has issued only biometric passports, called ePassports. As the validity of Australian passports do not exceed 10 years, all previous Australian passports have now expired and are now biometric.
The squadron would continue to provide replacement aircrews and updated aircraft to VMCJ-1 in Vietnam. In 1971 the squadron deployed the first EA-6A detachment aboard for a Mediterranean cruise that lasted 10 months with cross decking to and . In April 1972 the squadron diverted an EA-6A detachment that was scheduled to deploy on the Saratoga in the Mediterranean to WESTPAC to join VMCJ-1 at NAS Cubi Point.
One of NAWDC's most interactive departments is N2, naval intelligence. Within this department are targeting and weapons experts, assisted by enlisted intelligence specialists, who gather data on potential trouble areas around the globe where deployed naval forces might be called for presence or action. Inherent in the intelligence mission is preparation of aircrews for all circumstances they may face in combat. Another function of NAWDC's intelligence department is contingency preparation.
Two weeks later, the group and the 98th Squadron moved to Drew Field, near Tampa, Florida. The 303d Squadron joined them later that month, while the 304th moved to the Tampa Bay Area, but to Pinellas Army Air Field, on the other side of the bay. The group operated as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU), with the Warhawk. RTUs were oversized units which trained individual pilots or aircrews.
In 1944, it was removed from combat to focus on training pathfinder aircrews and develop tactics, although its developmental work occasionally required it to fly combat missions. After V-E Day, the group returned to the United States and was inactivated. The group became a reserve organization, serving as a bombardment unit from 1947-1949 and briefly as an airlift unit in 1952. It became a fighter unit in 1955.
The 9th Air Refueling Squadron mobilizes and deploys twelve KC-10 aircraft and over 140 personnel and equipment to worldwide forward operating locations. It generates 24-hour-a-day strategic airlift and air refueling sorties supporting U.S. and allied forces during contingency operations. It trains aircrews to support and sustain Joint Chiefs of Staff directed missions. The 9th executes an 8,000+ flying hour program and a $580,000 budget.
From the 1960s, the various Vulcan squadrons would routinely conduct conventional training missions; the aircrews were expected to be able to perform conventional bombing missions, in addition to the critical nuclear strike mission.Darling 2007, p. 63. The Vulcan's only combat missions took place towards the end of the type's service in 1982. During the Falklands War, the Vulcan was deployed against Argentinian forces which had occupied the Falkland Islands.
The upgrade to turbofan engines provided a significant increase in performance, safety and reliability. In August 1990 the 160th was one of the first ANG units to deploy aircraft to the Middle East after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel began volunteer Desert Shield deployments to a provisional tanker task force at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, designated the 1709th Air Refueling Squadron (Provisional).
In 1955 the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Test Centre was built for the Blue Streak missile project. The RAF took it over in 1976 and it became Europe's first Electronic Warfare Tactics Range in 1977. The range contains ground-based electronics warfare equipment to act as a simulated threat to training aircrews. Some of the equipment was manufactured in the Soviet Union; some simulated emissions from potential enemy systems.
In contemporary German magazine articles highlighting the Starfighter safety problems, the aircraft was portrayed as "overburdened" with technology, which was considered a latent overstrain on the aircrews."Trost vom General." Der Spiegel, 13 October 1965. In 1966 Johannes Steinhoff took over command of the Luftwaffe and grounded the entire Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine F-104 fleet until he was satisfied that problems had been resolved or at least reduced.
VI, Men & Planes, Introduction, p. xxxvi It then became a Replacement Training Unit and trained replacement aircrews, using B-25 Mitchell aircraft in both training programs. In addition, the group operated specialist training schools, with as many as eight in operation at once. However, the AAF was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to performing the mission.
Most important, D'Oyly-Hughes failed to launch any aircraft to form a Combat Air Patrol around the carrier group, reportedly to give the aircrews a rest. The previous commander always had some aircraft in the air. Had he done so, Glorious might have been able to spot incoming threats, or have been able to either turn and run or fight. No aircraft were even on the deck for a quick launch.
The re-formed Group was assigned the 9th, 11th, 22d and 31st Bombardment Squadrons. The 9th, 11th and 31st squadrons lent their World War I lineage to the group's emblem as indicated by the three Maltese Crosses on the shield. While the group was assigned at Rockwell Field, the fledgling Air Force was testing new theories and ideas. In early 1931, the 7th began training aircrews in radio-controlled interception.
This was accomplished by using a system of visual, optical, electronic, and other sensory devices. During this time the aircrews accumulated over 30,000 hours of flying time and the unit deployed across both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The 163d deployed to Pisa Airport, Italy, in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor. During that period the unit also flew as the lead unit in support of flight operations over Bosnia.
It returned to the United States in the fall of 1945 and was inactivated at the Port of Embarkation. The squadron was organized again under Strategic Air Command in 1963 and maintained its aircraft on nuclear alert until the end of the Cold War. Although the squadron itself did not see combat, it deployed aircrews and bombers to augment other forces during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm.
Provides the 55th Electronic Combat Group with combat ready Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call trained aircrews. Directs all EC-130H aircrew initial academic and flying qualification, difference and requalification training for 20 different aircrew specialties with more than 200 aircrew students trained annually. Provides registrar support to students. Maintains quality control for all aspects of contracted aircrew training and manages courseware development for 17 Air Combat Command-verified syllabi.
Leary (1995), p. 29 Efforts to retrieve aircrews from Chetnik controlled areas ran afoul of the tangled web of Balkan politics. The British, who considered that part of the world within their sphere of interest, had shifted their support to Tito and were determined to sever all ties with Mihailović lest they offend the Communist leader. American attempts to maintain contact with Mihailović had been rebuffed by London.
It ran check flights for newly assigned aircrews, as well as flew visual reconnaissance and forward air control missions under various call signs. As it expanded, it stationed pilots and ground crews at several forward operating locations. However, it did not receive its full complement of over 30 Bird Dogs until the end of the year, as the turnover process from the U. S. Army was a slow one.
The squadron provided long range air refueling support and participated in military exercises and special operations. It deployed aircraft and aircrews to Europe, the Middle East, and Alaska supporting the European, Alaskan, and Pacific Tanker Task Forces while maintaining a high state of combat readiness. The 71st also supported USAF operations in Southeast Asia. Dow closed as an active USAF base in the spring of 1968 and most units there inactivated.
Former 3 CBAS Gazelle in service with 847 NAS in Oman, 2002 Former 3 CBAS Lynx AH.7, in service with 847 NAS in 2005 847 Naval Air Squadron was reformed at RNAS Yeovilton with Royal Marines aircrews and REME engineers on 1 September 1995, from 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, as a tactical support unit for the Royal Marines Commandos with Lynx AH.7 and Gazelle AH.1 helicopters.
Children outside air raid shelter in Gresford, 1939 Some air-raid shelters were constructed in residential building schemes in anticipation of the Second World War. There is a surviving example at St Leonard's Court in East Sheen, southwest London. Military air-raid shelters included blast pens at airfields for the security of aircrews and aircraft maintenance personnel away from the main airbase buildings. Few shelters could survive a direct bomb-hit.
In addition, non-combatants, such as merchant mariners and civilian aircrews, have been imprisoned in some conflicts. With the adoption of the Geneva Convention on the Prisoners of War in 1929, later superseded by the Third Geneva Convention, prisoner-of-war camps have been required to be open to inspection by authorized representatives of a neutral power. Not all belligerents have consistently applied the convention in all conflicts.
In flights of four, aircrews flew south through the Straits of Gibraltar and began their orchestrated attack shortly after midnight on 15 April. They were targeted on Azziziyah Barracks, the Sidi Balal terrorist training camp, and Tripoli Airport. With the sky lit up from Tripoli's city lights, anti-aircraft tracers, and brilliant surface-to-air missile detonations, determined 48th TFW crews unleashed 60 tons of munitions, damaging their targets.
During the 1930s, a major expansion of the Royal Air Force (RAF) had been directed by the British government, which led to the formulation and issuing of a number of operational requirements by the Air Ministry.Flight 30 June 1938, p. 628. One of these was Operational Requirement 42 (OR.42), which sought an advanced training aircraft to be specifically used by aircrews destined to serve on bomber aircraft.
In March 1944, it was removed from combat to focus on training pathfinder aircrews and develop tactics, although its developmental work occasionally required it to fly combat missions. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated. The squadron became a reserve organization, serving as a bombardment unit from 1947–1949 and briefly as an airlift unit in 1952. It became a fighter unit in 1955.
The trials report concluded: Hellcats were the major U.S. Navy fighter type involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where so many Japanese aircraft were shot down that Navy aircrews nicknamed the battle the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". The F6F accounted for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.Tillman 1979, p. 9. Radar-equipped Hellcat night fighter squadrons appeared in early 1944.
The squadron became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews. However, standard military units, like the 6th Squadron, were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, and were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.
The arrival of V/STOL aviation instituted another era for VMAT-203. The squadron's A-4 SkyHawks were retired and VMAT-203 became the AV-8A/C training squadron as part of Marine Aircraft Group 32. In December 1983, the first AV-8B Harrier II was delivered, and until March 1985, VMAT-203 was assigned the dual missions of training both AV-8A/C pilot and AV-8B replacement aircrews.
When Japan surrendered, sixteen squadron aircrews and several aircraft maintenance personnel were in India undergoing transition training to Douglas A-26 Invader. About 31 August 1945 the remaining 491st personnel joined those in India. Those determined to meet rotation requirements embarked on a transport ship and returned to the United States, arriving on 1 November. The squadron was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 2 November 1945.
The surprising outcome of Phase III was not ignored. In Phase IV through VI of the project, during 1979, the lessons learned in Phase II and III were digested and fed back to the aircrews through new combat doctrine. The official report details how the F-15 was able to lock on to the helicopters around 64 km. However it did not get visual ID until 6-9 km.
After completion of his combat tour, he became executive officer of the 67th Fighter Wing with headquarters near Peterborough, England. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, Tacon was assigned to Headquarters American Graves Registration Command in Paris, for the purpose of organizing a staff section to aid in the location of missing aircrews. He remained in this assignment until April 1946 when he returned to the United States.
Bismarck was temporarily lost to the Royal Navy after she evaded the radar of the shadowing cruisers and . She was found again, but the only way of stopping her was if something slowed the ship down. To try to do this, Ark Royal launched a strike with her Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. However, the aircrews were wrongly informed of the location of Sheffield and attacked her instead, mistaking her for Bismarck.
Afterwards, they were relieved and other P-3 Orion aircrews kept the Columbia Eagle under constant surveillance from outside Cambodian territorial waters. The merchant ship Rappahanock picked up the lifeboats and crew members and broadcast the news of the mutiny. The United States Coast Guard cutter was the first US military vessel to pursue the Columbia Eagle. The amphibious transport dock was diverted to relieve Mellon in its pursuit.
By the evening Sir John French was able to discuss with his commanders the German dispositions near the BEF which had been provided by aircraft observation, the strength of the German forces, that the Sambre had been crossed and that an encircling move by the Germans from Geraardsbergen was possible. During the battle on 23 August, the aircrews flew behind the battlefield looking for troop movements and German artillery batteries.
According to the official history of the post-war Air Force, Read's decision to take up the F-4E offer, over competing Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer and Grumman A-6 Intruder options, "delighted RAAF senior officers and aircrews".Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 386–387 In March 1972, Air Marshal Sir Colin Hannah resigned as CAS one year short of his planned three-year term, to become Governor of Queensland.
Polansky received an Air Force commission upon graduation from Purdue University in 1978. He earned his pilot wings in January 1980 at Vance AFB, Oklahoma. From 1980 to 1983, he was assigned to Langley AFB, Virginia, where he flew the F-15 aircraft. In 1983, Polansky transitioned to the F-5E aircraft and served as an Aggressor Pilot, where he trained tactical aircrews to defeat enemy aircraft tactics.
The upgrade to turbofan engines provided a significant increase in performance, safety and reliability. In August 1990, the 160th was one of the first Air Guard units to deploy aircraft to the Middle East after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Aircraft, aircrews and support personnel began volunteer rotational Desert Shield deployments to a provisional Tanker Task Force at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (1709th ARS (P)).
BQM-34 Firebee being returned to Wallace AFS The squadron replaced the 6400th Test Squadron, which had been organized in 1967, in 1969. It conducted weapons system evaluation, known as COMBAT SAGE, of F-4 aircraft, of F-15 aircraft from 1980, and of F-16 aircraft from 1982, until shortly before inactivation. It also trained visiting aircrews from other Pacific Air Forces units in weapons employment and tactics.
After he retired from the military he became involved in a great number of films. This developed following his involvement in the film 633 Squadron (1964). Running into difficulty getting aircraft for the project, one of the production people asked about if there was anyone familiar with Mosquitos, and Mahaddie's name came up. He ended up acquiring 11 Mosquitos for the picture, and the aircrews to fly them.
The weather forecast is expected to be good, and the aircrews are briefed. Among the pilots is P. C. Pickard, a real life RAF officer and holder of the DSO, who will pilot the Wellington "F for Freddie". Once the briefing is completed the crew suit up, are driven to their bomber and take off in the dusk. Over Germany the target is bombed, but the aircraft is hit by flak.
It stood alert at Kincheloe and deployed aircrews and aircraft to support combat operations in Vietnam until it was inactivated when the Air Force closed the base. The squadron was converted to provisional status c. 2002 as part of the War on Terror. It has served as a McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender squadron in Southwest Asia since then, with KC-135 aircraft added in late 2003 until an undetermined time.
It has since trained Air Force Reserve aircrews for strategic airlift, including channel, special assignment, humanitarian, and combat airlift missions. In the 1980s and 1990s, personnel participated in contingency and humanitarian airlift operations and exercises worldwide. In 1994, the wing conducted the first C-17 Globemaster III flight with an all-Air Force Reserve crew. It also took part in the first combined U.S. – Russian exercise that year.
In the same period, the wing deployed aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel periodically in support of Operation Arc Light and other operations in Southeast Asia. The 42nd maintained dispersed tankers on alert at McGuire Air Force Base, in its Detachment 1 from 1 January 1970 through early 1975. In 1972 the demand for the wing's aircraft and personnel to deploy for Operations Bullet Shot, Young Tiger, and Linebacker II increased significantly.
The squadron became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews. However, standard military units, like the 6th Squadron, were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, and were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.
Managing Patient Does, ICRP, 30 October 2009. Average civil aircrews are exposed to 3 mSv/year, and the whole body occupational dose limit for nuclear energy workers in the USA is 50mSv/year. For scale, see Orders of magnitude (radiation). For PET-CT scanning, the radiation exposure may be substantial—around 23–26 mSv (for a 70 kg person—dose is likely to be higher for higher body weights).
The 117th Air Refueling Wing flies the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker. Its mission is to train and equip combat ready aircrews and support personnel to perform worldwide air refueling and airlift missions. Combat ready civil engineering, support services, medical, personnel, communications and Intelligence technical support packages of the wing are available for worldwide assignment. the wing supports state and local contingencies when directed by the Governor of Alabama.
The station motto was Vis et armis consilioque orta (). This is appropriate as the station was built as a Training Depot for aircrews, who had completed basic flying training, to learn to fly the Handley Page Type O and Airco D.H. 9 bombers. The first unit to occupy the station was No. 2 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping. This unit took up residence while the station was still under construction.
Ravenstein, pp. 194–195Ravenstein, pp. 214–215 The 834th also assumed host responsibility for England through its 834th Air Base Group, which assumed the personnel and equipment of the inactivating 366th Air Base Group to support all units at England.See Mueller, pp. 168–169 (list of units at England Air Force Base.) The division supervised operations and training, exercises, firepower demonstrations, and insured the combat readiness of aircrews and equipment.
Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi Initially, the goup's 503d and 504th Squadrons were equipped with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, but by the end of the year, the group was entirely equipped with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. With the Liberator, the mission changed to acting as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like the OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual aircrews, rather than units.
The facility has two operating runways. The east–west runway handles 96 percent of the traffic. It is equipped with a fresnel lens optical landing system (FLOLS) at each approach end, as well as lit carrier flight deck landing areas at both ends, so pilots can simulate carrier landings. Apart from "touch and go" landings and take-offs, aircrews use the many ranges at NAF El Centro to develop their skills.
When the 437th arrived in the theater, United Nations forces were driving north, and the U.S. Air Force was using airfields at Sinanju and Yonpo in North Korea. As the Chinese Communist forces struck south, however, the 437th helped evacuate these bases. Soon 437th aircrews were helping move everything out of the airstrips near Pyongyang, and by year's end they were evacuating Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, South Korea.
December 2010, AFD-110131-026.pdf Reactivated as part of the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing in 1985 at Shaw as the wing's third F-16 Squadron. Trained in tactical fighter missions designed to destroy enemy forces, 1985–1993. Deployed aircrews and aircraft to Southwest Asia (SWA) during the 1991 Gulf War; later participated in Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq in support of United Nations operations, 1992–1993.
Privately purchased Thai camouflaged flight suits in "Highland" pattern were worn by Khmer Air Force Douglas AC-47D Spooky gunship aircrews on occasion, such as the members of the first contingent sent in May–June 1971 to Udorn Airbase in Thailand for gunship training.Davis and Greer, Gunships, A Pictorial History of Spooky (1982), p. 14.Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970-75 (1989), p. 43, Plate E1.
Training was made as realistic as possible, and the converted ferry HMAS Burra-Bra was often used as a target ship. One of 6 OTU's instructors recalled: "The attacks were as spectacular as they were dangerous. We flew so low that the slipstreams threw up great rooster tails of water behind us." His role was to train aircrews to drop their torpedoes "in point- blank range of enemy gunners".
The Royal Air Force issued at least 21 Mitchell IIIs to No 342 Squadron, which was made up primarily of Free French aircrews. Following the liberation of France, this squadron transferred to the newly formed French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) as GB I/20 Lorraine. The aircraft continued in operation after the war, with some being converted into fast VIP transports. They were struck off charge in June 1947.
Along with the new name, the wing acquired three groups and assumed host responsibility for Kirtland from the 1606th Air Base Wing as it reorganized as a USAF Objective Wing. That same year it deployed aircrew, maintenance personnel and operations personnel to support Operation Desert Storm. Wing aircrews were responsible for the rescue of seven aircrew during the operation. It also deployed personnel to support Operation Provide Hope in Somalia.
The squadron was established as the 450th Fighter Squadron and was activated in November 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia. as one of the four original squadrons of the 87th Fighter Group. The squadron began operations with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in January 1944 as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters and assignment to an operational group.
Unofficial NFWS patch with F-5 planform TOPGUN conducts four "Power Projection" classes a year. Each class lasts nine weeks and consists of nine Navy and Marine Corps strike fighter aircraft—a mix of single-seat F/A-18Cs and Es, and two-seat F/A-18Ds and Fs. The TOPGUN course is designed to train already experienced Navy and Marine Corps aircrews at the graduate level (although it is currently not a regionally or nationally accredited educational program) in all aspects of strike-fighter aircraft employment, which includes tactics, hardware, techniques and the current world threat for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The course includes eighty hours of lectures and twenty-five sorties that pit students against TOPGUN instructors. When a pilot or WSO completes the TOPGUN course he/she will return as a Training Officer carrying the latest tactical doctrine back to their operational squadron or go directly to an FRS squadron to teach new aircrews.
Scimitars of 736 Squadron at Farnborough, 1962 Hawk T.1 of the Royal Navy The squadron moved to RNAS Culdrose in 1950 where, in August 1952, it was eventually disbanded as piston-engined squadron and reformed as the Advanced Jet Flying School; operating Supermarine Attacker and Meteor T.7 jet aircraft. It was recommissioned at RNAS Lossiemouth in June 1953 as a training squadron for Sea Vampire and Hawker Sea Hawk. In 1959 the squadron was equipped with Supermarine Scimitar F.1 aircraft under the command of Lieutenant Commander J.D. Baker, to provide support for operational squadrons. As Scimitars started to be phased out of first-line servicing, 736 Squadron was disbanded on 26 March 1965. 736 NAS reformed shortly afterward with the Blackburn Buccaneer S.2, using aircraft and aircrews from the recently disbanded 700B Flight (the Buccaneer S.2 Intensive Flying Trials Unit) in order to train aircrews for the aircraft.
300px In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign the Will Rogers Air National Guard Station by relocating the 137th to Tinker Air Force Base and associate with the 507th Air Refueling Wing and redesignated it as the 137th Air Refueling Wing. The 137th's C-130H aircraft would be distributed to the Texas Air National Guard's 136th Airlift Wing at NAS JRB Fort Worth, TX (4 aircraft), and the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Memorial Airport/Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, MO (4 aircraft). The other elements of the 137th's Expeditionary Combat Support Group would remain in place at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base.Eventually, all eight C-130s were transferred to the US Air Force Reserve's 911th Airlift Wing in Pittsburgh, PA. Beginning in February 2007, the 185th Air Refueling Squadron aircrews jointly operated the KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft at Tinker AFB with the aircrews of the Air Force Reserve 465th Air Refueling Squadron.
In terms of the air threat of the 1950s, this meant a gain of at least 30 extra minutes warning time of an oncoming bomber attack.Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star ADC's Operation Tail Wind on 11–12 July tested its augmentation plan that required Air Training Command interceptors participate in an air defense emergency. A total of seven ATC bases actively participated in the exercise, deploying aircraft and aircrews and supporting the ADC radar net.
A left The first landings were made by British pilots under contract, who were quickly replaced by Japanese pilots trained by the British Aviation Mission.Milanovich, pp. 11, 15–16Prados (p. 36) states that Lieutenant Shunichi Kira made the first landing on Hōshō, on 16 March 1923. left After Hōshō was commissioned, experienced aircrews requested changes, and the ship was modified by the Yokosuka Navy Arsenal from 6 June to 20 August 1924.
At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 869th drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished.
Cate, p.53 Delays in producing the B-29, labor disputes at the engine manufacturer, and modifications to the planes to make them ready for combat resulted in belated deliveries to combat units and it was close to the end of 1943 before aircrews could train in the new bomber in any number. Ground echelon personnel began shipping out to prepare the airfields for the bombers without completing their training in the United States.
Cate, p.53 Delays in producing the B-29, labor disputes at the engine manufacturer, and modifications to the planes to make them ready for combat resulted in belated deliveries to combat units and it was close to the end of 1943 before aircrews could train in the new bomber in any number. Ground echelon personnel began shipping out to prepare the airfields for the bombers without completing their training in the United States.
The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircrews practice this with regularity. Television personality Carol Vorderman undertook sea drills SERE training at RAF St Mawgan as part of her effort to become the ninth female to fly solo around the world. SERE training is also delivered to aircrew because the nature of their job makes them vulnerable to capture if they have to bail out over or crash an aircraft into hostile territory.
A follow on airstrike was planned for the next night based on the pessimistic assessments of the aircrews, but it was cancelled due to bad weather. Reconnaissance photos taken by the R.A.F. showed three battleships with their decks awash and surrounded by pools of oil. The two airstrikes had changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean by sinking the Conte di Cavour, and badly damaging the Littorio and the Caio Duilio.McCart, p.
The 350th engaged in strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Germany, sustaining very heavy losses of personnel and aircraft while conducting many unescorted missions over enemy territory attacking airfields, industries, naval facilities and transportation hubs. The squadron flew its first mission against Bremen, Germany on 25 June 1943.Sheridan, p. 162 During the summer of 1944, aircrews bombed enemy positions at Saint-Lô, followed by similar campaigns at Brest in August and September.
The squadron was first activated at Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina on 1 May 1943 as the 318th Airdrome Squadron. The squadron provided support to the 309th Bombardment Group, a Replacement Training Unit that trained replacement aircrews using B-25 Mitchell aircraft.Maurer, p. 184 However, the AAF was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to performing the training and support missions.
On the ground back in Pittsburgh, the maintainers and aircrews made more aircraft airworthy and then keeping them flying. Almost seamlessly, the 171st went into a wartime footing. Within 24 hours after the first attacks, the 171st was flying round-the-clock CAPs support sorties with eight Fully Mission Capable KC-135s. Before the continuous CAP missions were ended in early 2002, more than 13,000 combat missions were flown over U.S. soil.
Since 2006, this has been the only mainland UK location where aircrews can drop practice bombs, though this was suspended between 2008 and 2009 for tree felling. DNV GL (previously Advantica) uses the site for industrial hazard testing including fire and the destruction of pipelines. The remoteness of the area is key to their operations. The outlying moorland landscape of the site is of increasing importance for its visual quality and for nature conservation.
Göring refused to believe reports that American fighters had been shot down as far east as Aachen in winter 1943. His reputation began to decline. The American P-51 Mustang, with a combat radius of over when using underwing drop tanks, began to escort the bombers in large formations to and from the target area in early 1944. From that point onwards, the Luftwaffe began to suffer casualties in aircrews it could not sufficiently replace.
Although the 19th was based in the United States and was to be available for NATO operations, It primarily trained aircrews for combat operations in Southeast Asia. Although it was no longer operational, the wing continued to wind down operations at Chambley until 15 October 1966, when it inactivated. Its remaining support personnel were transferred to the 7367th Tactical Group, which managed US Air Force operations at Chambley until they terminated in April 1967.
After the Battle of Caporetto, Italian aviation assets had dwindled to 59 squadrons containing 378 craft, with slightly more than 100 being fighters. For aircrews, it could muster 497 pilots, 284 observers, and 152 gunners. It had also lost the use of 22 airfields, as well as other infrastructure that had fallen into enemy hands. The net effect of Caporetto was to set the Italian air effort back some one to two years.
On a daily basis, flight crews trained by TAC would hurl themselves and their planes at targets across the area of operations, to include over the skies of North Vietnam. As the command responsible for training aircrews for overseas duty, TAC maintained Readiness Training Units in the United States to train pilots and other aircrew members for fighters, reconnaissance and troop carrier (redesignated tactical airlift after 1 July 1966) squadrons in the Pacific.
This shuttle bombing exercise was labelled Operation Frantic. At the briefing, the aircrews were told that "One hundred thirty-million Americans will look upon you today and you are their representatives in a land where you will be the first American combat men." The bombing that day was excellent, and no flak or enemy fighters were encountered. The 99th became the first task force of the USAAF to land on Russian soil.
SFWSP is mirrored on the East Coast as Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic (SFWSL). In the 1960s, as new weapons were introduced to the fleet, aircrews and ordnance personnel needed training on loading and delivery of these weapons. Training was provided when Conventional Weapons School was formed as a department of Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing (RCVW-4). Its mission was to provide training for A-4 Skyhawk/A-7 Corsair aircraft.
Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar At Miami, the wing trained with C-46s under the supervision of the active duty 2585th Air Force Reserve Training Center. The wing was ordered into active service in March 1951 as a result of the Korean War. Along with other reserve units called to active duty, it formed Tactical Air Command's Eighteenth Air Force. The 435th's initial function was to train C-46 aircrews for service in Korea.
The 918th successfully bombs the target and is the only group to do so. All of its crews return safely. Though Pritchard is furious, Savage claims that he did not hear the recall due to radio malfunction and instead persuades Pritchard to recommend the group for a Distinguished Unit Citation. Savage also acquires a surrogate son in Lieutenant Jesse Bishop, a Medal of Honor recipient who is Savage's eyes and ears among the combat aircrews.
The red color aids aircrews in targeting drops of retardant. Some of the main components of Phos-Chek retardants include ammonium polyphosphate, diammonium phosphate, diammonium sulfate, monoammonium phosphate, attapulgus clay, guar gum (or a derivative of guar gum), and trade secret performance additives. Fire retardants are manufactured as several different formulations with varying proportions of the above components. The phosphate and sulfate salts act as fire retardants and prevent combustion of cellulosic materials.
The 18th Wing's mission is to defend U.S. and Japanese' mutual interests by providing a responsive staging and operational airbase with integrated, deployable, forward-based airpower. The focus of the unit's operations is directed to accomplishing this mission. Strategy used to employ this mission centers around a composite force of combat-ready fighter, air refueling, airborne warning and control and rescue aircraft as well as medical aircrews tasked with transporting patients by air.
The first trials of SmartGate began in 2002 with Qantas aircrews. The trials were expanded in 2004 to include over 1,000 Qantas platinum frequent flyers, and in 2007 it was launched to the public at Brisbane Airport. Since October 2005, Australia has issued only biometric passports, called ePassports. As the validity of Australian passports do not exceed 10 years, all previous Australian passports have now expired and all valid passports are now biometric.
The 488th Group was transferred to Third Air Force and moved to MacDill Field, Florida along with the 843d Squadron. At MacDill the squadron operated as a B-17 Replacement Training Unit. Replacement Training Units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission.
As well as hauling cargo and personnel, the unit provided targets for training of RCAF interceptor aircrews, and were used by pilots and navigators on the Northern NORAD Region headquarters staff, at the base, to maintain their flying skills.131 Composite Unit Diary. 131 Composite Unit was disbanded in November 1967. For the next five years, except for occasional visits by aircraft from other air force bases, all military flying at North Bay ceased.
The personnel then sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, via Durban, South Africa, and arrived at Port Tewfik, Egypt, on 16 August. Two days later the ground echelon arrived at Deversoir. Upon its arrival the 81st underwent a training period with light bomber wings of the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force. This training included five missions intended to acquaint the American aircrews with aids to navigation in the Middle East.
The flight provides support for all aircraft and aircrews stationed on and transiting DAFB. The air traffic control branch consists of the tower and radar approach control while the airfield management branch is responsible for the airfield and base operations. The life support flight provides aircrew with emergency oxygen masks, flotation equipment, emergency signaling equipment, protective helmets, and aircrew chemical ensembles. The flight conducts training on life support equipment, chemical defense and combat survival.
It was initially equipped with thirty-eight Airspeed Oxfords and twenty-six Hawker Harts and Audaxes. The first aircraft, an Oxford with serial N4584, arrived on 9 May 1939, with the first student aircrews arriving on 13 May. In August 1939 North American Harvards replaced the Harts. October 1939 saw the addition of ten Avro Ansons and six Harts from the recently disbanded No. 13 FTS which was based at RAF Drem in East Lothian.
The squadrons had the mission of training future combat aircrews for a wide variety of bombing missions in advanced combat techniques. In addition to the training mission, beginning in 1943, Pinecastle AAF was used as the AAFSAT Technical Center, operating an Air Force General Maintenance and Supply Depot facility. On 1 June 1944, the 901st Army Air Forces Base Unit (Heavy Bombardment), took over the bomber training mission with two squadrons, "G" and "H".
Edmonds, pp. 6, 12 When the 19th Bombardment Group arrived in the Philippines, it absorbed the two bomber squadrons already there, the 14th and 28th Bombardment Squadrons. The 28th was equipped with obsolescent planes and the decision was made to evenly distribute the group's B-17s among its squadrons. As a result, in November, the squadron lost two of its Flying Fortresses and absorbed aircrews with no experience on the B-17.
The mission of the 142d Airlift Squadron is to provide combat ready aircrew for state, national and worldwide deployment in support of any assigned mission. The squadron's mission capability includes all weather, day and night, airland, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation capability. The C-130 aircraft is capable to perform both inter-theatre and intra-theatre missions. The squadron is can also supply specially trained aircrews for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations when called upon.
The squadron was reactivated in 2012 and assigned to the 9th Operations Group of Air Combat Command at Beale, to operate the MC-12 Liberty reconnaissance aircraft and train Liberty aircrews. The squadron was inactivated in November 2015 as the USAF transferred the MC-12 mission to the United States Army. The squadron was reactivated in 2019 at Beale and is reported to operate the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 stealth unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance aircraft.
Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment group. Was assigned to II Bomber Command as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU). The group was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest under II BC; performing training of new units, then becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Reassigned to III Bomber Command in November 1943 when Second Air Force began to exclusively train B-29 Superfortress aircrews.
The 488th headquarters and all its assigned squadrons were transferred to Third Air Force and moved to MacDill Field, Florida. At MacDill the group operated as a B-17 replacement training unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission.
74 Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar At Miami, the group trained with C-46s under the supervision of the active duty 2585th Air Force Reserve Training Center. The group was ordered into active service in March 1951 as a result of the Korean War. Along with other reserve units called to active duty, it formed Tactical Air Command's Eighteenth Air Force. The group's initial function was to train C-46 aircrews for service in Korea.
The squadron's mission was to act as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews following their graduation from flight school.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In June 1943, the 338th Group began a split organization and the 312th and 441st Fighter Squadrons moved to Perry Army Air Field, Florida,Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p 546 while group headquarters and the other two squadrons remained at Dale Mabry Field.
Leading a group of 12 Whitleys, Marks instructed the aircrews to fire off Very lights over the target area so the bombers could find each other and group back together. They were also to drop marker flares over the target itself. The planes would then bomb the troop concentration. This was the first time the RAF attempted to locate a target at night by making a timed run from a known point.
On the ground back in Pittsburgh, the maintainers and aircrews made more aircraft airworthy and then keeping them flying. Almost seamlessly, the 171st went into a wartime footing. Within 24 hours after the first attacks, the 171st was flying round-the-clock CAPs support sorties with eight fully mission capable KC-135s. Before the continuous CAP missions were ended in early 2002, more than 13,000 combat missions were flown over U.S. soil.
Reactivated at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 1970 and equipped with McDonnell F-4 Phantom IIs. Supported the Tactical Air Warfare Center in weapon systems evaluation program tests from January–December 1973, and periodically thereafter until July 1978. Aircrews ferried F-4Es to Israel in October 1973. The 59th augmented intercept defense forces of North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) beginning 1 January 1976 – 15 January 1979 and 4 January 1982 – 5 April 1982.
Straight news, without propaganda embellishment, was broadcast from South Vietnam via the Voice of Freedom, another SOG creation.. These agent operations and propaganda efforts were supported by SOG's air arm, the First Flight Detachment. The unit consisted of four heavily modified C-123 Provider aircraft flown by Nationalist Chinese aircrews in SOG's employ. The aircraft flew agent insertions and resupply, leaflet and gift kit drops, and carried out routine logistics missions for SOG.
The base's six hangars and three slipways were operational by September 1918. It operated as a seaplane base, assembly and repair location for aircraft, and as a training station for pilots. The station's aircrews, using Curtiss H-16 flying boats would fly a total of 64 war patrols and record three bombing attacks against German submarines. By the end of World War I, the base had approximately 24 planes and over 1000 personnel.
The 92 AEW became the largest tanker wing since the Vietnam War and held the distinction of being the largest tanker base during the Kosovo War. In the mid-2010s, wing staff officially stated that the wing 'operate[d] 34 KC-135 R/T Stratotanker refueling aircraft valued at $1.6 billion and 58 aircrews to support worldwide military missions. Serving as Fairchild Air Force Base host unit, the wing control[led] and 1,248 buildings.
After activation in 1991, commenced air refueling missions. Using KC-10 aircraft, the group airlifted humanitarian equipment and supplies to Somalia, 1992–1994. Deployed group aircrews and aircraft on other contingency operations in many parts of the world, including Haiti in 1994 and Serbia in 1999. The group also refueled aircraft enforcing no-fly zones over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the mid-1990s and over northern and southern Iraq between 1992 and 2002.
Replacement Training Units were similar to OTUs in that they were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews. However, even as the squadron arrived at Dalhart, the AAF was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.Goss, p.
Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron. Was assigned to II Bomber Command as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU). The squadron was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest under II BC; performing training of new units, then becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Reassigned to III Bomber Command in November 1943 when Second Air Force began to exclusively train Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews.
Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron. Was assigned to II Bomber Command as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU). The squadron was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest under II BC; performing training of new units, then becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Reassigned to III Bomber Command in November 1943 when Second Air Force began to exclusively train Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews.
Subsequently, the squadron had its aircrews posted to various RAF night fighter and signal schools for theater indoctrination. Meanwhile, as there was no sign of the P-61s. the pilots kept up their flight time on Cessna UC-78s and de Havilland Mosquitoes. 155th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron A-20 HavocAircraft is Douglas A-20J-15-DO Havoc (converted to F-3A) serial 43-21731 at St Dizier/Robinson Airdrome (A-64), France, October 1944.
The squadron mission also changed as the Army Air Forces' (AAF) need for new units diminished and its need for replacements increased. The squadron became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews. However, standard military units, like the 52d Squadron, were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, and were not proving well adapted to the training mission.
Cate, p.53 Delays in producing the B-29, labor disputes at the engine manufacturer, and modifications to the planes to make them ready for combat resulted in belated deliveries to combat units and it was close to the end of 1943 before aircrews could train in the new bomber in any number. Ground echelon personnel began shipping out to prepare the airfields for the bombers without completing their training in the United States.Cate, pp.
Loringhoven used his influence at OHL to mass eighty artillery batteries for the operation on the of front from Liévin, a suburb of Lens, to Vimy, carefully hidden between houses and in buildings. British positions were photographed by reconnaissance aircrews and aircraft reinforcements and anti-aircraft guns, some on lorries, were used to deter British reconnaissance aircraft. Telephone silence was enforced and a stream of trucks delivered ammunition unnoticed by the British.
He led a team that produced an automatic airborne radar system, used to warn aircrews of aircraft approaching from behind. He continued his work in radar at Malvern and then on guided weapons in the United States. After WWII, he was sent on a Combined Intelligence mission to interview German scientists concerning their development work on radar and guided weapons and. In 1946, Cooke-Yarborough joined UK Atomic Energy programme to work on nuclear instrumentation.
This feat was accomplished by forty-eight aircrews, thirty-four aircraft, and their ground support personnel. These efforts were not without cost. During its brief five- month period of operation (January - May), the Special Group lost to flak, fighters and the hazards of special operations a total of seven aircraft with thirty-five crewman killed in action. These losses were on top of previous losses suffered by the two component squadrons in their prior assignments.
150px The 42d Electronic Combat Squadron provides the 55th Electronic Combat Group with combat ready EC-130H COMPASS CALL trained aircrews. Directs all EC-130H aircrew initial academic and flying qualification, difference and requalification training for 20 different aircrew specialties with more than 200 aircrew students trained annually. Provides registrar support to students. Maintains quality control for all aspects of contracted aircrew training and manages courseware development for 17 Air Combat Command-verified syllabi.
These became known as "Article XV squadrons." In addition, Articles XVI and XVII stipulated that the UK government would be responsible for the pay and entitlements of aircrews trained under the BCATP. Nevertheless, these personnel and any squadrons formed for service with the RAF, under Article XV, would belong to the three Dominion air forces. This was largely an initiative of the Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, during the negotiations with Riverdale.
The 27 OG took control of the wings fighter squadrons upon activation. From September 1992 to July 1993, 27 OG F-111 aircrews and support personnel rotated to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, in support of Operation PROVIDE COMFORT. In 1995 the face of the flightline changed when the wing began its transition to General Dynamics F-16C/D aircraft. The first F-16s to arrive in May were assigned to the 522d Fighter Squadron.
Rumors were spread by British intelligence among the Greek exile communities in the Middle East, hinting that the liberation of the Greek mainland was imminent. Greek soldiers and a Greek destroyer undertook actual assault drills in preparation for an invasion. Dummy landing craft and gliders were constructed and placed in areas that were known to be within the range of German reconnaissance planes. American aircrews deployed in Cyprus were put through drills.
The command was reactivated as a bomber training command at El Paso, Texas in May 1943 and assigned to Second Air Force, which was training all heavy bomber units and aircrews for the AAF. It was renamed the XX Bomber Command in August 1943, avoiding duplication with another I Bomber Command, which would be located at Mitchel Field, New York later in August.Maurer, p. 437 The command was disbanded in October 1943.
The 2nd Division had executed its first preplanned helicopter ambush. The commander of the 101st Airborne's 1st Brigade, General Matheson, ordered the commander of the 1/35th Infantry, Lt. Col. Robert G. Kimmel, to mount a relief operation to save the downed aircrews. After suppressing the nest of machine guns with air and artillery strikes, the colonel landed three rifle companies into the area to establish a perimeter around the downed Hueys before night fell.
The squadron moved to Gowen Field, Idaho where it provided the cadre for the 494th Bombardment Group, a newly forming Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber unit as the 867th Bombardment Squadron.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 363-364 Aircrews filled out the squadron in March. The air echelon began to receive new B-24Js in May and began departing for Hawaii on 28 May. The ground echelon began its move to Hawaii on 1 June 1944.
The 1550th Aircrew Test and Training Wing was activated in 1973 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, where it trained all USAF helicopter aircrews and trained HC-130 crews for search and rescue missions. It also provided pararescue training and, operational test and evaluation of materiel, and performed local search and rescue missions. It moved to Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. in 1976 and expanded its mission to include special operations training.
In mid-December, both the 326th and 444th Squadrons established themselves at Santa Rosa Army Air Field, while the 329th took the 444th's place at Concord. Starting in early 1944 the 328th began to act as a replacement training unit (RTU) for fighter pilots. RTUs were also oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews. This mission change was followed by the move of the 327th Squadron to Marysville Army Air Field, leaving only group headquarters at Hamilton Field.
In 1965, it became heavily involved in Arc Light and Young Tiger operations in the Far East and SE Asia (SEA). Strategic Air Command wings in the U.S. furnished the aircrews and aircraft for these operations. The first elements of the 3rd Air Division to enter combat in SEA were the tanker forces under Young Tiger. In June 1965, Arc Light B-52s struck suspected Viet Cong targets in South Vietnam, commencing the first SAC combat missions.
Lavelle also authorized planned protective reaction strikes. Targets for the planned protective reaction strikes sometimes went beyond elements of the air defense system. Lavelle later told Congress that he could have hit some of the targets within the rules of engagement by "trolling," sending aircraft into hostile areas as bait to provoke enemy fire. The Navy used the practice but Lavelle said that he did not do so and regarded it as too dangerous to his aircrews.
During the final phases of the War in Southeast Asia, the 415th was redesignated the 415th Special Operations Training Squadron, as a component of the 1st Special Operations Wing to replace the 4413th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida. There, the squadron provided special operations combat training for aircrews in the AC-119G Shadow gunship. In early 1971, the unit additionally acquired AC-130H Spectre gunships. It lso gave numerous displays and firepower demonstrations of its capabilities.
The 464th Bombardment Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah as one of the original squadrons of the 331st Bombardment Group. In September it moved to Casper Army Air Field, where it conducted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress replacement training until 1943, when it converted to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p.
The 463d Bombardment Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah as one of the original squadrons of the 331st Bombardment Group. In September it moved to Casper Army Air Field, where it conducted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress replacement training until 1943, when it converted to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p.
The 461st Bombardment Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah as one of the original squadrons of the 331st Bombardment Group. In September it moved to Casper Army Air Field, where it conducted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress replacement training until 1943, when it converted to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p.
After considering the proposed deal, Read recommended that it go ahead; according to RAAF historian Alan Stephens this decision "delighted RAAF senior officers and aircrews".Stephens (1995), p. 387 The Cabinet subsequently approved the lease of 24 Phantoms for two years at a total cost of $US 41.554 million (including training, spare parts and technical advice) and the formal agreement to do so was signed on 29 June 1970. The USAF designated this project Peace Reef.
The 384 BW handled bomber alert duties, spending countless days and nights on alert status with their aircraft armed, fueled, and ready to go at a moment's notice. The 384th aircrews also commonly participated in REFLEX operations, spending short but continually recurring periods of time at forward locations around the world. The era of the Stratojet ended on 1 September 1964 when the 384 BW inactivated with the phaseout of the B-47 from the USAF inventory.
In July 2014, two Globemasters, several aircrews and maintenance personnel were deployed to Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands as part of the response to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over the Ukraine. In conjunction with Royal Netherlands Air Force C-130s, the two aircraft ferried international police officers and their equipment between the Netherlands and Kharkiv in the Ukraine. They also flew the bodies of victims of the incident to the Netherlands.
Typhoon Squadrons from RAF Lossiemouth are primary users of the range, and it is available to aircrews from across the United Kingdom. It is also an important range for UK Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and their NATO counterparts to maintain their air weapons qualifications. There are various bombing targets spread throughout the range, including strafe targets. The range is staffed by RAF controllers and support staff from Landmarc Support Services, both of whom also man the Cape Wrath range.
In the meantime, the 153rd Tactical Airlift Group expanded to regularly flying missions with the United States Southern Command out of Howard Air Force Base, Panama, as part of Operation Phoenix Oak. From supplying embassies in Central and South America, to searching for sinking ships in the middle of tropical storms, the Wyoming C-130s and aircrews carried out military and humanitarian missions. Those missions continued through Operation Just Cause, the United States invasion of Panama in 1989–90.
The memorial to aircrews killed in crashes on Cairnsmore of Fleet. The earliest evidence of human occupation at Cairnsmore of Fleet dates to the Bronze Age: sites showing evidence of the cultivation of land on the southern side of the mountain and cairns on the summit all date from this period. Later, during the medieval period, flocks of sheep and goats were grazed here during the summers by Cistercian monks. Animals were also hunted for game during this period.
In 1971 the RAF stood up their own operational conversion unit (237 OCU) to take over the training of both their own and the dwindling number of RN aircrews. 736 NAS was finally disbanded in early 1972 until it was recommissioned in 2013 under the command of Lt Cdr Tim Flatman. Now operating the Fleet Air Arm's BAe Hawk T1/T1A twin-seat fast-jet aircraft, the squadron has replaced the Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit (FRADU).
Two further prototypes — actually pre-production aircraft — joined the development program in December 1941. The IJNAS accepted the first production version as the H8K1, Navy Type 2 Flying Boat, Model 11, of which 14 would be built. The improved H8K2 variant soon appeared, and its extremely heavy defensive armament earned it deep respect among Allied aircrews. The H8K2 was an upgrade over the H8K1 with more powerful engines, slightly revised armament, and an increase in fuel capacity.
The 337th Test and Evaluations Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is a part of the 53d Test and Evaluation Group of the 53d Wing. Its primary task is to test and evaluate modifications on the B-1 bomber, as well as to train future aircrews to fly upgraded B-1s. (access restricted) The 337th is headquartered at Dyess AFB, Texas, though it operates out of a number of bases throughout the United States.
It also carried troops and cargo that didn't require the speedy capability of MAC's all-jet C-141 Starlifter and C-5A Galaxy airlift fleet. Although two- and three-day flights within the U.S. were common, the 157th's overseas commitment was growing. In 1969 the unit transported more than 1,000 tons of cargo and 2,000 passengers, its aircrews logging 5,236 hours on 44 overseas missions to Vietnam, England, France, West Germany, Greece, Japan, Portugal, Newfoundland, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan.
The squadron was re- activated in 1947 under SAC as a paper unit; it was not manned or equipped and inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints. Reactivated once more in 1950, it was used as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel. It was deployed to the Far East Air Forces during the Korean War. The unit replaced its propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept- wing medium bombers in 1953.
Parsons raised the possibility of arming the bomb in flight with Farrell, who agreed that it might be a good idea. Farrell asked Parsons if he knew how to do it. "No sir, I don't", Parsons conceded, "but I've got all afternoon to learn." After the bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August, Farrell, along with Generals Carl Spaatz, Nathan Twining, Barney Giles and James H. Davies, debriefed Parsons, the aircrews and the observers, and sent Groves a detailed report.
Both sides expected to find each other early the next day, and spent the night preparing their strike aircraft for the anticipated battle as their exhausted aircrews attempted to get a few hours' sleep. In 1972, U.S. Vice Admiral H. S. Duckworth, after reading Japanese records of the battle, commented, "Without a doubt, May 7, 1942, vicinity of Coral Sea, was the most confused battle area in world history."Lundstrom, Pearl Harbor to Midway, pp. 219–220; Cressman, p.
Bomb damage appeared unrepaired and aircrews reported greatly diminished anti-aircraft fire. On July 28, radio signals from Kiska ceased entirely. On August 15, 1943, the U.S. 7th Infantry Division, 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division and the 13th Infantry Brigade (Canada), landed on opposite shores of Kiska. The invasion also involved the first combat deployment of the First Special Service Force, an elite special forces unit consisted of American and Canadian commandos.
The United Nations quickly moved to stop the carnage and restore order to the area. On 8 July, the 40th, as part of the 322d Air Division, went on alert for action in Operation New Tape, the Congo airlift. From July, and well into the next year, the squadron flew across most of Africa carrying troops and hundreds of tons of cargo into the Congo. From the very beginning, all 40th aircrews were involved in the airlift.
Said a pilot after the war: "Even when high ranking officers who were not in the know asked about the work we were doing we had to lie like old Harry. It was court martial if we breathed a word about the job. Not even the mechanics knew about the passenger flights." For the special duties aircrews, who they were and what they did remained a secret till the war had been over for over 30 years.
U.S. Naval War College Analysis, p.1; Parshall and Tully, Shattered Sword, pp. 416–430. Japanese planners had assumed a quick war and lacked comprehensive programmes to replace the losses of ships, pilots and sailors; and Midway; the Solomon Islands campaign (1942–1945) and the New Guinea campaign (1942–1945), notably the Battles of Eastern Solomons (August 1942); and Santa Cruz (October 1942), decimated the IJNAS veteran aircrews, and replacing their combat experience proved impossible.Peattie, Sunburst, pp.
In April 1970, the squadron's ALCS aircraft were transferred to the new 4th Airborne Command and Control Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The squadron deployed aircrews and aircraft to support the Spanish, Great Lakes and Alaskan Tanker Task Forces. It engaged in worldwide operations supporting combat operations in Southeast Asia from 1968 through 1975 through participation in Operation Young Tiger and support for Operation Arc Light. Afterwards it continued to support forward based tanker task forces.
The group moved to Algeria in May 1943, where the group and its B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft distinguished themselves while flying bombing missions against targets in Italy, Sardinia and Sicily. In December 1943, aircrews moved to Italy and conducted missions throughout Europe. Active for over 60 years, the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was part of Strategic Air Command's deterrent force during the Cold War, as a strategic reconnaissance wing. The 99th Air Base Wing is commanded by Col.
Bergstrom RF-4 after transfer to the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance SquadronAircraft is McDonnell RF-4C-33-MC Phantom II, serial 67-430. The squadron was organized in November 1966 as part of the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron trained for reconnaissance missions and prepared aircrews for the Vietnam War. In October 1971, the squadron was inactivated and its personnel, mission and equipment were transferred to the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.
U.S. Air Force aircrews in general, and those involved in flight tests in particular, use the term to describe the first card in a "deck" of flight or test maneuver cards. The "dance card" contains administrative data about the mission, aircraft, and aircrew as well as a list of the maneuvers to be flown. The card serves as a table of contents for the mission and a quick reference for the aircrew's use during the flight.
At Bergstrom, the squadron received Fairchild C-82 Packet medium transports in November 1948 and began transition training. In early January 1949, the squadron's air echelon deployed seven C-82s on temporary duty to Kearney Air Force Base, Nebraska, to transport supplies to snowbound ranchers and farmers, while the rest of the squadron moved at the end of January 1949 to Smyrna Air Force Base, Tennessee. The C-82s and aircrews arrived at Smyrna in late February 1949.
Dispersal tactics and protective measures were very common during World War II and practiced by all nations. The USAAF was less concerned than its allies about base defence and dispersal due to the total air superiority and unlimited resources of aircraft, aircrews and ground personnel to replace combat losses. After D-Day as allied tactical air forces moved rapidly across France, investment in base and aircraft survival was impractical. It was quicker and cheaper to use captured Luftwaffe facilities.
JPADS bundle descends to its preprogramed drop zone over Afghanistan, circa 2006 A JPADS guided bundle lands right next to its programmed target, indicated by the orange marker JPADS is reported to be accurate to , drastically reduces drop zone size requirements; significantly increasing the number of locations which can be used as a drop zone. This reduces both the risk of hostile fire to aircraft and aircrews and the amount of cargo that misses a drop zone.
More changes occurred in the early 1990s. The 911 ARS was reassigned to Air Mobility Command bases in 1994 and 1995 and the F-15E formal training unit moved to Seymour Johnson in 1994 and 1995. The 333d Fighter Squadron returned to Seymour Johnson to accommodate the training mission and was assigned to the 4 OG. To accommodate the need to train more F-15E aircrews, the 334th Fighter Squadron became a training squadron on 1 January 1996.
During a port call in Muroran, Northern Japan, in October, HS-14 detached two HH-60Hs and four aircrews to Misawa Air Base for FLIR/Hellfire training. The detachment rejoined Kitty Hawk prior to ANNUALEX 19G, the naval portion of a larger U.S./Japanese exercise. Following the exercise, Carrier Strike Group Five made international headlines when it was denied entrance to the port of Hong Kong for the Thanksgiving holiday. HS-14 returned to Atsugi in early December.
During the Korean War, Tactical Air Command (TAC) trained aircrews at Langley AFB, Virginia. The three squadrons of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Group performing this mission were Air National Guard units that had been called up for the war. At the start of 1953, these squadrons were released to state control and the 423d Bombardment Squadron took over the mission, personnel, and equipment of the 115th Bombardment Squadron, which returned to the California guard.See Mueller, p.
HSL 164 off Colombo with a Hawker Hurricane overhead Crash Rescue Boat is a name used in the United States to describe military high-speed offshore rescue boats, similar in size and performance to motor torpedo boats, used to rescue pilots and aircrews of crashed aircraft. During World War II these rescue boats, armed with light anti-aircraft guns for self-defense, saw extensive service with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).
The squadron operates specially configured aircraft on Special Air Missions (SAM) directed by HQ USAF supporting the President, Vice President, and other US and foreign senior diplomats. Selectively manned aircrews are responsible for the detailed planning and execution of sensitive missions of national and international consequence. The crew establishes direct coordination with numerous agencies to include Headquarters United States Air Force, embassies, and Congressional offices. Crews conduct these global missions isolated from normal supply and command and control structures.
Following transition, VP-5 entered into a robust IDRC. For the first time VP-5 Combat Aircrews tactically employed the P-8A in the Group Sail Exercise, Submarine Command Course – 38, the ARG/MEU Exercise, the USS George H.W. Bush Composite Training Unit Exercise and Joint Task Force Exercise, and Exercise Koa Kai 14-1 – Hawaii. In July 2014 Patrol Squadron FIVE deployed to Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan and the Seventh Fleet Area of Responsibility.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 37th flew antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast until about March 1942. Because the 17th Group was the first Army Air Forces unit to equip with the Mitchell, the squadron, along with the other squadrons of the 17th Group contributed aircrews for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, Japan on 6 April 1942. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron flew antisubmarine patrols over the Northwest Pacific coast until May 1942.
NAB Coronado is also home to the Naval Special Warfare Center, the primary training center for SEALs. The other major collection of naval bases on the west coast is in Puget Sound, Washington. Among them, NS Everett is one of the newer bases and the navy states that it is its most modern facility. NAS Fallon, Nevada serves as the primary training ground for navy strike aircrews, and is home to the Naval Strike Air Warfare Center.
The 39th earned two more DUCs and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation during combat in Korea. Following the 1953 truce, the squadron returned to Japan, serving as an air defense unit until inactivating in December 1957. The squadron was activated as the 39th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron in 1969 when Tactical Air Command replaced its Command controlled (4 digit) units with Air Force controlled units. It trained Douglas B-66 Destroyer aircrews until inactivating in 1974.
Ravenstein, pp. 88, 126 The division's mission was to develop, test, and improve the equipment, tactics and techniques of strategic reconnaissance; to train replacement aircrews for SAC and overseas commands. It produced target charts, maps and related materials for SAC. As the headquarters for Aeronautical Charting Service, it was responsible for targeting charts and maps, in particular for SAC. Through April 1948, the bulk of the division's assets were involved with Operation Sandstone, nuclear weapons tests at Eniwetok Atoll.
As a United States Air Force squadron, it flew reconnaissance missions in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism. Aircrews of the 12th have flown over 40 different aircraft since its beginnings in 1917, fought in more than 25 major campaigns, operated from over 60 stations, and received more than 20 unit citations. Today, it continues its history of reconnaissance, now equipped with the RQ-4 Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
While deployed in Key West for two weeks the squadron carried out all normal assignments and flew an aggressive flight schedule. In 2000, VMGRT-253 broke new ground when it became the first Marine Corps squadron to receive the KC-130J. The J-Flight Introduction Team (JFIT) was formed and the squadron was tasked with building a training program and training the aircrews. December 20, 2002, VMGRT-253 transferred its KC-130J’s and personnel to VMGR-252.
It served as a forward staging area from which simulated missions were directed against designated targets in the United States. In Hay 1950 the 492d Squadron provided one of two B-36'8 on a mobility mission to Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico. On 17 July 1951 six aircraft and aircrews assigned to the squadron departed Fort Worth for Goose Air Base, Labrador, Canada. Thence they were dispatched on a navigation mission to Thule Air Base, Greenland.
Jeffrey S. Feinstein (born January 29, 1945) is a retired career officer of the United States Air Force. During the Vietnam War, Feinstein was a weapon systems officer, an integral part of two-man aircrews with the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons during aerial combat. Flying aboard F-4 Phantom IIs, Feinstein downed five enemy aircraft, thereby becoming a flying ace, the last of five U.S. aviators to become aces during that conflict.
The lone surviving Chinook landed on Hermes. It spent the night there, arrived at San Carlos the next day, and was made available for missions on 29 May. The Chinook arrived with two aircrews, and a maintenance detachment, but they had no tools, spare parts or documentation, all of which were lost with Atlantic Conveyor. Somehow, it went on to fly 109 hours without servicing, carrying 1,500 troops, 95 casualties, 650 Argentine prisoners of war (POWs) and of cargo.
The squadron's mission remained basically the same until 31 Mar 1995. Thousands of Strategic Air Command and some Air Mobility Command KC-135 aircrews received flight training from the 93 ARS. Each crew (pilot, copilot, navigator, and boom operator), after academic training with the 4017th Training Squadron at Castle AFB, received 45 days of flight training from the 93d ARS. The squadron also provided specialized training of shorter duration to senior officers (such as wing commanders).
Deployment of aircraft, aircrews, and supplies to China began in the spring of 1941. He lived in Seattle for a few months before heading to Hollywood to work for Twentieth Century Fox studios. Weary of Hollywood, in 1940 he moved to Dayton, Ohio and in 1944 settled in Castalia, Ohio, where he started the Sturdy Toy Factory. On December 6, 1948, he died of a massive heart attack while driving down the highway near Fremont, Ohio.
Between 1939 and 1945, the complete manufacturing facilities of the factories' group was turned over to the manufacturing of military supplies. In Britain, Kelvinator of London contributed to the field of testing airplane components at ultra-low temperatures, and instruments under high altitude conditions, research that was credited as saving the lives of many Allied aircrews. The company pledged to introduce the scientific discoveries gained during the war production into its appliances to make them more useful and efficient.
The 462d Bombardment Squadron was first activated in July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah as one of the original squadrons of the 331st Bombardment Group. In September it moved to Casper Army Air Field, where it conducted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress replacement training until 1943, when it converted to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p.
Tennessee rotated out to Saipan on 27 July to replenish fuel and ammunition before returning the next day. She once again left for more ammunition at Saipan on 29 July and resumed bombardment duties on the 30th. That morning, one of her Kingfishers accidentally collided with a Marine OY-1 spotting plane, causing both aircraft to crash and killing both aircrews. Fighting ashore continued until the morning of 31 July, and at 08:30, Tennessee ceased firing.
Air travel exposes people on aircraft to increased radiation from space as compared to sea level, including cosmic rays and from solar flare events. Software programs such as Epcard, CARI, SIEVERT, PCAIRE are attempts to simulate exposure by aircrews and passengers. An example of a measured dose (not simulated dose) is 6 μSv per hour from London Heathrow to Tokyo Narita on a high-latitude polar route. However, dosages can vary, such as during periods of high solar activity.
This was followed by seven cruises aboard USS John F. Kennedy, including participation in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990/91. Operation "Desert Storm" commenced on 17 January 1991. VS-22 aircrews flew over 1100 combat hours and 324 combat sorties in direct support of the coalition forces. Target information gleaned by VS-22 aircraft played a major role in the suppression of enemy air defences during the first days of Desert Storm.
An F-15E Strike Eagle carrying a Sniper pod (under engine intake). The Sniper is a single, lightweight targeting pod with much lower aerodynamic drag than the systems it replaces . Its image processing allows aircrews to detect, identify and engage tactical-size targets outside the range of most enemy air defenses, giving it a crucial role in the destruction of enemy air defense missions. It also supports urban engagements beyond jet noise range for counter-insurgency operations.
The squadron was reactivated in 1969 during the Vietnam War as part of the 1st Air Commando Wing. Its mission was to train Republic of Vietnam Air Force aircrews in the operation of C-47 Skytrain "Puff The Magic Dragon" gunship operations to interdict North Vietnamese supply convoys and personnel movements along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The squadron was inactivated in 1973 as part of the withdrawal of United States forces from the Vietnam War.
F-4E Phantom IIs and F-105G Thunderchief Wild Weasels over Thailand in 1972 . On 1 June 1972 SAC expanded its forces at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand by forming a provisional air division and two provisional wings. The Strategic Wing, Provisional, 310th had two operational squadrons, one of which was the Air Refueling Squadron, Provisional, 901st. This squadron was manned and equipped with aircrews and KC-135s deployed from SAC units in the United States.
103 and 576, held the Bomber Command record for operational sorties, having completed 140 between May 1943 and December 1944.Official RAF History A total of 974 operational hours. Australian Don Charlwood was a navigator operating out of Elsham Wolds. In his highly regarded memoir, "No Moon Tonight", he writes movingly about his many comrades who died, those that did not (a much smaller number), and about the feelings of aircrews facing such high loss rates.
The 331st Bombardment Group was first activated in July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah with the 461st, 462d, 463d and 464th Bombardment Squadrons assigned. In September it moved to Casper Army Air Field, where it conducted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress replacement training until 1943, when it converted to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p.
Maurer, Combat Units, pp.82–83 In June 1942, the unit added the mission of training aircrews in the B-24 and in the LB-30 Lend Lease version of the Liberator. Squadron B-24J flying over Iwo Jima on 6 March 1945Airplane is B-24J-45-CO Liberator Serial 42-73425, nicknamed "Deadeye II". In July 1943, these operations ceased and the squadron began training to deploy to the Central Pacific, arriving in Hawaii in October 1943.
He found this frustrating because this raid saw the introduction of the Bomber stream. This was where the aircraft were concentrated together in an attempt to overwhelm the defences, with each allocated a specific place, height band, and time slot.. This period saw the introduction of aiming-point photography. Gibson tried it out and then encouraged all aircrews to become "photo minded". Obtaining good aiming point photographs quickly became a competition both within, and between squadrons.
Congress provided monies for a five-year plan to bring the army air services to 2,200 fighters and to increase the number of aircrews. Camp Lewis received funding in 1927 to build a second hangar. Also, on September 13 that year the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh made a low level pass over the maneuver and training field (today Watkins Parade Ground) simulating an attack. This demonstration of air power encouraged the use of airplanes in infantry support.
A flight of four RNZAF Strikemasters A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It is usually composed of three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages, multiple flights make up a squadron. The "flight" is also a basic unit for intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The 474th Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where it trained combat-ready aircrews and maintained a rapid-reaction capability to execute fighter attacks against enemy forces and facilities world-wide in time of crisis. During its operational lifetime, the 474th was engaged in combat operations during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The 474th Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1989.
The 551st Special Operations Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center and based out of Cannon AFB, New Mexico. The 551st had previously been based at Kirtland Air Force Base from 15 March 1976 until its inactivation on 10 May 2007. It was reactivated in 2009 and currently is assigned to the AFSOC and trains aircrews on the MC-130 and AC-130.
The squadron trained F-111 Aardvark aircrews from 30 September 1979 to 26 June 1991. It rotated aircraft and personnel to Southwest Asia throughout the 1990s in support of Operation Southern Watch. It furnished resources for units participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Pilots and aircraft deployed from unit conducted close air support mission after 2005, although the unit itself remained in the United States.
Eligible categories include all ranks of the Indian military, including reserve and territorial forces, and members of the Railway Protection Force, police, Home Guards, civil defense, or any other organization specified by the government. Aircrews who, in the course of bailing out of an aircraft destroyed by hostile action may be awarded if they sustain injuries (and not, specifically, "wounds"). The medal may not be awarded posthumously. Specific provision is made for bars for subsequent awards.
It also carried troops and cargo that didn't require the speedy capability of MAC's all-jet C-141 Starlifter and C-5A Galaxy airlift fleet. Although two- and three-day flights within the U.S. were common, the 157th's overseas commitment was growing. In 1969 the unit transported more than 1,000 tons of cargo and 2,000 passengers, its aircrews logging 5,236 hours on 44 overseas missions to Vietnam, England, France, West Germany, Greece, Japan, Portugal, Newfoundland, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan.
This order of dress includes various types of protective clothing ranging from the standard overalls to specialist kit worn by aircrews, chefs, medics and others. No. 12 also covers whatever day-to-day working dress may be authorised at a local or regimental level. Formerly an olive green shirt and trousers were often worn, but this has been replaced with combat dress shirt and trousers worn with beret and stable belt (identical to that of No. 7 Dress).
These specialized medical exams consist of physical examinations performed by an Aviation Medical Examiner or a military Flight Surgeon, doctors trained to screen potential aircrew for identifiable medical conditions that could lead to problems while performing airborne duties. In addition, this unique population of aircrews is a high-risk group for several diseases and harmful conditions due to irregular work shifts with irregular sleeping and irregular meals (usually carbonated drinks and high energy snacks) and work-related stress.
The windscreens had a negative effect of limiting the forward view of the crew, a previous strength of the original design. The aircraft was also equipped with a larger instrument panel, roughly a third bigger than the OH-58A panel, which held larger flight instruments. The panel was also equipped with Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible cockpit lighting. The lights inside the aircraft are modified to prevent them from interfering with the aircrews' use of NVGs.
The PRU-70/P22P-18 (V) is an Armored Survival Vest (ASV) that is intended for aircrews. It will be fielded in 3 sizes (small, medium, and large) and was designed in house by Navair's Human Systems Division. The vests will be manufactured by Peckham Vocational Industries in Michigan and will be fielded to Navy and Marine aircrew in Iraq and Afghanistan. The PRU-70 merges both the aircrew survival vest and the latest in body armor.
USAAF General Curtis LeMay realized that it was much cheaper and more effective to train aircrews in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape techniques than to have them lost in the arctic (or ocean) or languishing (or lost) in enemy hands. Thus, he supported the establishment of formal SERE training at several bases/locations (from July 1942 to May 1944) hosting the 336th Bombardment Group (now the 336th Training Group), including a small program for Cold Weather Survival at RCAF Station Namao in Edmonton, Alberta where American, British, and Canadian B29 aircrews received basic survival training. In 1945, a consolidated survival training center was initiated at Fort Carson, Colorado under the 3904th Training Squadron, and, in 1947 the Arctic Indoctrination Survival School (colloquially known as "the Cool School") opened at Marks Air Force Base in Nome, Alaska. During WWII, the US Navy discovered that 75% of its pilots who had been shot or forced down came down alive, yet barely 5% of them survived because they could not swim or find sustenance in the water or on remote islands.
The 16th Airlift Squadron provide combat-ready Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircrews for worldwide airlift missions supporting Department of Defense and National Command Authority directives. They conduct airdrop and air-land operations supporting global contingencies for combatant commanders by projecting and sustaining combat forces directly into theater drop zones and austere airfields. The unit perform emergency nuclear airlift, aeromedical evacuation & humanitarian relief missions in the technologically advanced, C-17A airlift aircraft in all phases of ground and flight activity.
The 14th Airlift Squadron "Pelicans" provide combat-ready Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircrews for worldwide airlift missions supporting Department of Defense and National Command Authority directives. They conduct airdrop and airland operations supporting global contingencies for combatant commanders by projecting and sustaining combat forces directly into theater drop zones and austere airfields. "Pelicans" perform emergency nuclear airlift, aeromedical evacuation & humanitarian relief missions in the technologically advanced, $262.7M C-17A airlift aircraft in all phases of ground and flight activity.
They served with Nos. 1 and 6 Squadrons, both based at RAAF Base Amberley. The Australian aircrews praised the choice and the F-4Es were so well received that their popularity threatened the F-111C order at one point. The first six aircraft were returned in October 1972, with another five returned in November 1972. The first six F-111Cs were delivered in June 1973, and the rest of the F-4Es were returned to the United States Air Force.
The drop itself went as planned, with good coverage over the road for about . Later in the day, rain activated the "soap" and the initial reports were that the entire road had washed into the valley. That night, at a party at one of the local CIA watering holes, the C-130 crews and the CIA operatives celebrated the successful mission. Two other missions were flown by the same aircrews, operating out of Cam Ranh Air Base in South Vietnam.
Castens, pp. 22–23 The ground echelon left Lowry on 18 October 1943 for Camp Shanks, New York and embarked on the , sailing on 27 October 1943 and arrived in Greenock on the Firth of Clyde on 2 November 1943. The aircraft left Lowry on 20 October 1943 for staging at Lincoln Army Air Field, Nebraska. The aircrews ferried their planes under the control of Air Transport Command via the southern route from Florida through Puerto Rico, Brazil, Senegal, and Morocco to England.
The 394th Combat Training Squadron was a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 509th Operations Group until inactivated on 13 April 2018. It was stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The mission of the squadron was to train Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit aircrews, a mission now executed by the 13th Bomb Squadron. The 394th is the fourth oldest squadron in the United States Air Force. Its history dated to 5 May 1917 as the 4th Aero Squadron.
Attached to the 89th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, the squadron operates from New Castle Air National Guard Base, Delaware with approximately eight aircrews, 60 maintenance personnel, and about a dozen operations personnel supporting five Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The squadron supports presidential airlift, through a mission known as "Banner Express". Aircraft and personnel are prepositioned to support an expected surge in airlift requirements. The squadron was expected to commence operations in April 2012 and inactivate in late November.
This was the first ever sanctioned Air National Guard civilian flight outside the Continental United States, and was also the first KC-135 authorized into West Berlin. During Operation Desert Shield, the squadron received orders for a partial activation on 20 December 1990. All aircraft, aircrews and a number of support personnel were dispatched to the newest forward operating base at Cairo West Airport, Egypt on 27–29 December 1990. They became the basis for the 1706th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional).
From 1944, Guest was Leader of the House until he retired from political office in 1948. He retained his wartime role as Air Minister and Rhodesia capitalised on her experience to form her own highly efficient Air Force. He also tackled the problem of young airmen returning to civilian life, training aircrews for civilian duty as well as helping young men complete their academic education. He continued as Minister of Defence and Air from 7 June 1946 to 15 September 1948.
The four French bomber aircrews managed to shoot down all four German fighters; all French participants were credited with four victories each. However, Paillard then went missing in action that same day.Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918, pp. 179-180, 201 He was awarded the Medaille Militaire for his valor,The Aerodrome website for the MM Retrieved 26 August 2020 as well as the Croix de guerre.
Many of the US Navy charts were folded in envelopes and distributed to the air crews before a mission, and to be turned in when the mission was successfully completed. They were called "drift charts" by the Navy, "...since their prime purpose was to indicate to aircrews survivors in their life rafts in which direction the ocean currents and prevailing winds would cause their rafts to drift...".Doll, John G. 2002. Cloth maps, charts and blood chits of World War II. Page 22.
The first West Coast F4H Phantom Squadron was assigned to VF-121 at NAS Miramar, Ca. VF-121 Pacemakers received the first examples of F-4B Phantoms at NAS Miramar in 1961.Eden 2004, p. 278. On 24 May 1961, Project LANA- the 50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation Transcontinental Race for the Bendix Trophy, was won by a VF-121 crew. Aircrews came from other aircraft types and became qualified in the flight, navigation, and operation of the F4H Phantom.
The unit performed air refueling operations worldwide from 1965–1979 and since 1981. From c. 10 June–8 October 1972, all personnel and aircraft were on loan to units in the Pacific or other Strategic Air Command units, leaving the squadron unmanned. It deployed most aircraft and personnel to Southeast Asia October–December 1972, in support of Operation Linebacker II. It again deployed aircrews and tankers to various locations for air refueling support in Southwest Asia from August 1990–April 1991.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the primary mission of the wing was training in global strategic bombardment and air refueling operations. On 13 April 1965, the 7 BW deployed its forces to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam to support SAC combat operations in Southeast Asia. Most of the wing's bombers and tankers, along with aircrews and some support personnel, were deployed. At Andersen AFB, the wing flew more than 1,300 missions over Vietnam, and returned to Carswell in December 1965.
Part of a USAAF stream of over 1,000 B-17s Before the advent of long-range fighter escorts, B-17s had only their .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns to rely on for defense during the bombing runs over Europe. As the war intensified, Boeing used feedback from aircrews to improve each new variant with increased armament and armor. Defensive armament increased from four machine guns and one nose machine gun in the B-17C, to thirteen machine guns in the B-17G.
Beginning in June 1968, the squadron provided aircrews to support Operation Arc Light, SAC operations in Southeast Asia. In July 1968 when SAC ended its bomber operations at Travis Air Force Base, California, the 5th Bombardment Wing moved to Minot to replace the 450th Wing. In connection with this move, the personnel and equipment of the 720th were transferred to the 23d Bombardment Squadron, which moved on paper with the 5th Wing from Travis, and the 720th was inactivated.Ravenstein, Combat Wings, pp.
The squadron was credited with the destruction of seven enemy aircraft in aerial combat.Newton & Senning, p. 555 P-51B 43-12252 of the 42d Fighter Squadron at Hillsborough Army Air Field in April 1944 The air echelon returned to the United States in December 1942 and rejoined the group, which had been assigned to Third Air Force in Louisiana, and became a replacement training unit (RTU) for North American P-51 Mustang pilots. RTUs were oversized units training individual pilots or aircrews.
B-29 Superfortress as flown by the 472d GroupAircraft is Boeing B-29A-30-BN Superfortress, serial 42-94106. The first predecessor of the wing, the 472d Bombardment Group, was activated on 1 September 1943 at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas. The 808th, 809th, 810th and 811th Bombardment Squadrons were simultaneously activated and assigned to the group. Although the 472d's mission was to train aircrews on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the squadrons also flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses.
Overseas deployments included: Sidi Slimane Air Base and Nouasseur Air Base, Morocco; RAF Brize Norton, England; and three different bases throughout Spain. Not only were crews and aircraft performing alert at home, but at various overseas deployment bases also. The alert commitment at home was discontinued with the increase of deployed aircrews and aircraft. Most overseas alert tours would last from three to four weeks compared to the one-week tour alert crews performed during the height of the Cold War.
Bombers based in Britain would sometimes return to their home bases in the early morning hours to find all of their landing sites completely fogged in, which resulted in the senseless loss of airframes and aircrews. In the post-war period, aviation experts knew that there would be benefits to both military and civilian flyers, as military missions would be made possible in all conditions and airlines could avoid the wasteful and expensive practice of diverting away from fogged in airports.
The Pilatus is the first Air Corps aircraft to have ejection seats since the Vampire. The PC-9M has six underwing hardpoints and has the capability to be armed with FN HMP250 gun pods, each carrying one M3P machine gun, and FN LAU-7 rocket pods, each carrying seven Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets, for the close air support role. Aircrews have an annual live firing exercise, flying out of Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel to the coastal range at Gormanston Camp.
Operations were around-the-clock, the C-141s landing by day and the C-130s generally by night. Other C-141s and the contract carriers meanwhile moved those refugees already at Clark eastward to Guam and Wake Island. Nearly all aircrews reported tracer fire and airbursts with some bursts reaching to eighteen-thousand feet. On 26 and 27 April, twelve-thousand persons left Tan Son Nhut for Clark AB aboard forty-six C-130 and twenty-eight C-141 flights.
Eight aeromedical personnel and two C-130s with 50 personnel deployed to Dakar, Senegal. During the two-week operation, C-130 aircrews flew 30 missions and evacuated 632 Americans. From February to March 1997, the wing executed Operation Assured Lift with five C-130s and 147 personnel delivering peacekeepers of the Economic Community of West African to Liberia. In March 1997, the wing's Contingency Operations Flight supported another NEO, Operation Silver Wake, this time in the Balkan state of Albania.
The squadron supported the South Atlantic ferrying route of Air Transport Command until it was disbanded in 1943. The 924th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at Castle in 1959. Through most of its existence it served as the tactical refueling component of the 93d Bombardment Wing, while its companion 93d Air Refueling Squadron was the "schoolhouse" for Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircrews, although in the 1980s, these roles were reversed. In 1985 the 24th and 924th squadrons were consolidated into a single unit.
VF-32 TARPS aircrews flew daily missions throughout Iraq including supersonic runs over highly defended Al Qa'im. Throughout Operation Desert Storm, VF-32 aircrew logged 1,445 combat flight hours on 403 missions, including 38 combat TARPS missions. After an eight-month deployment, the squadron returned to NAS Oceana on 28 March 1991. Later that year, the squadron won the 1991 AIRLANT Grand Slam missile firing competition with 17 of 17 scored kills. VF-32 and John F. Kennedy again deployed in October 1992.
La Combattante made her first sortie in 23 March 1943, escorting a convoy in the English Channel. She rescued 68 sailors from the liberty ship Stell Traveller, after it had struck a mine. On 29 May 1943, she rescued British and Australian aircrews ; in September 1943, she rescued two British airmen. In the night of 25–26 April 1944, La Combattante and the frigate intercepted a group of German E-boats; La Combattante managed to sink S-147 and damage another ship.
The 34th Bomb Squadron is presently the 4th-oldest active squadron in the United States Air Force, being formed on 10 May 1917, less than a month after the United States' entry into World War I. Members of the squadron participated in World War I, World War II, Korean War, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today, the 34th Bomb Squadron stands ready to provide combat-ready aircrews to project global power anytime in support of the Combatant Commander's objectives.
A further 8,403 men were wounded in action, and 9,838 became prisoners of war. Bomber Command stood at the peak of its post-war military power in the 1960s, the V bombers holding the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent and a supplemental force of Canberra light bombers. In August 2006, a memorial was unveiled at Lincoln Cathedral. A memorial in Green Park in London was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 June 2012 to highlight the price paid by the aircrews.
The 5 mW green laser pointers (classes II and IIIa) are the safest to use, and anything more powerful is usually not necessary for pointing purposes, since the beam is still visible in dark lighting conditions. The United States Coast Guard requires their aircrews to return to base if a green laser is pointed at them, and have their eyes examined for eye damage. People have been given up to five years in jail for aiming a green laser at an aircraft.
Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol Observer Badge The title "Observer" is still used regularly in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, better known as the Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol observers may act as the mission commander for aircrews engaged in search and rescue, homeland defense reconnaissance, or other Air Force-authorized missions, serving as the liaison between the sortie and mission base. Observers are trained in air navigation, radio communications, and other technical subjects such as aerial direction finding.
Australian historian David Dexter said that the "leisurely Nakai was outwitted by the quick-thinking and aggressive Vasey." In the end, Vasey had moved faster, catching the Japanese off balance. The credit for getting to Kaiapit went first to the USAAF aircrews that managed to make a difficult landing on the rough airstrip at Leron. The 2/6th Independent Company proved to be an ideal unit for the mission, as it combined determined leadership with thorough training and effective firepower.
Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 746 Delays in producing the B-29, labor disputes at the engine manufacturer, and modifications to the planes to make them ready for combat resulted in belated deliveries to combat units and it was close to the end of 1943 before aircrews could train in the new bomber in any number. Ground echelon personnel began shipping out in December 1943 to prepare the airfields for the bombers without completing their training in the United States.Cate, pp.
The 514th's current mission is to accomplish high-risk acceptance flights on F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-130 Hercules aircraft following depot level maintenance. its aircrews provide the final quality control checks to ensure aircraft are airworthy and capable of returning to combat units. As the OO-ALC Center Test Authority, the squadron is the focal point for managing and providing test process expertise and support for all test and evaluation at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex.
Principal among these was Air Sea Rescue (ASR) with which most aircraft were equipped with Lindholme Gear for dropping into the sea for downed aircrews. The squadron also had responsibility for convoy escort duties in the Atlantic and also as hunter killers in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). On 2 June 1943, a Short Sunderland of No 461 Squadron (11 Crew, 9 Australian, 2 British) was attacked whilst on an ASR patrol over the Bay of Biscay by 8 Junkers 88 fighter aircraft.
Castens, pp. 22–23 The ground echelon left Lowry on 18 October 1943 for Camp Shanks, New York and embarked on the , sailing on 27 October 1943 and arrived in Greenock on the Firth of Clyde on 2 November 1943. The aircraft left Lowry on 20 October 1943 for staging at Lincoln Army Air Field, Nebraska. The aircrews ferried their planes under the control of Air Transport Command via the southern route from Florida through Puerto Rico, Brazil, Senegal, and Morocco to England.
Provided C-130 replacement training support for PACAF, October 1965— July 1971 and August— December 1971. Also provided C-123 combat crew training for the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam crews, September 1969— August 1971. Reassigned to Military Airlift Command in December 1974. Pioneered in use of adverse weather aerial delivery system (AWADS) equipment in active combat operations in Southeast Asia, and from September 1977 to January 1988, trained aircrews in the AWADS for a C-130 squadron in Europe.
Since the September 11 attacks 2001, the 150th FW supported several deployments connected with Operation Noble Eagle. Within hours of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., 150th FW aircrews flew combat air patrol sorties over key resources within the western part of the United States, and continued to do so for many months. To protect the local homeland of New Mexico, 150th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) personnel provided several months of security protection to the Albuquerque International Airport.
The squadron was first activated in February 1943 at Homestead Army Air Base, Florida as the 76th Ferrying Squadron. It trained flight crews on a variety of multi-engine transport aircraft as part of Air Transport Command's 2d Operational Training Unit (OTU). Despite its name, the 2d OTU acted primarily as a Replacement Training Unit, training train pilots and aircrews, Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi although just before it was disbanded, the first three Bomber Support Squadrons were activated at Homestead.
The 473d Bombardment Squadron was activated in the summer of 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 334th Bombardment Group at Greenville AAB, South Carolina. It operated as a North American B-25 Mitchell replacement training unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission.
During the Vietnam War, its subordinate wings trained aircrews in fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. Its 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing maintained detachments in Southeast Asia and trained squadrons that transferred to fly combat operations, while its 354th Fighter Wing transferred its last combat squadron to the Pacific in 1968 and became non-operational. During the Pueblo crisis in 1968, its 4th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed to the Pacific, while three Air National Guard groups were mobilized and assigned to the 833d.
Its 4th Wing conducted replacement training for F-105 pilots. The 354th Wing deployed all but one of its squadrons overseas by April 1966. The 363d Wing deployed detachments to Southeast Asia and trained reconnaissance squadrons that moved to the Pacific after becoming combat ready. Later the 363d focused on replacement training of tactical reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircrews. During the Dominican Republic crisis of 1965–1966, the division's 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing flew the greatest part of reconnaissance missions.
These operations include low-level infiltration into a combat environment, where aircrews can deliver personnel and materials by airdrop and air-land techniques. The 910th Airlift Wing is composed of three groups and one medical unit, the 910th Medical Squadron. The 910th Operations Group is composed of one flying squadron and one support unit, the 910th Operations Support Squadron. The flying squadron is the 757th Airlift Squadron, which includes the only large-area, fixed-wing aerial spray mission in the Department of Defense.
The squadron was first activated in 1943 as the 669th Bombardment Squadron (Light) at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma,Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 698–699 one of the four original squadrons assigned to the 416th Bombardment Group.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 299–300 The unit drew its initial cadre from the 51st Bombardment Squadron of the 46th Bombardment Group at Will Rogers, and its aircrews continued to fly with the 46th group until 11 May, when it received its first two planes.
The 98th Operations Support Squadron is the scheduling, command and control and project support authority for NTTR operations. The Weapons and Tactics Flight provides qualified ground control intercept and Link 16 operations for more than 5,000 test and training sorties per year on the NTTR. The Current Operations Flight is responsible for range scheduling, range monitoring and advisory control (Blackjack), and provides a comprehensive debrief tool for combat air forces aircrews. The Operations Plans Flight coordinates all exercise, test and experimentation customer assistance.
It had a transatlantic charter cargo joint venture with ALG's Buffalo Airways, which was also training AZAL aircrews to Western standards in Dallas, Texas. In November 1994, AZAL began a route to Dubai, which, along with Istanbul, was a key source of Western goods. It was soon also flying to Tehran, Tel Aviv, Saint Petersburg, London, and China. Service to several regional destinations was suspended in mid-1998, due to low margins and the need to repair three Yak-40 aircraft.
The unit was established in mid-1942 by III Bomber Command as a replacement training unit (RTU) for Martin B-26 Marauder crews. Graduates from Training Command technical, gunnery and twin-engine flight schools would be trained on B-26s, then after graduation be assigned to combat units overseas. The group was inactivated in May 1944. In 1949, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was concerned about the ability of its aircrews to survive and evade capture if shot down behind enemy lines.
Personnel for the squadron came from the 56th Rescue Squadron, with no additional manpower or aircraft. Aircrews and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters remained in the 56th Squadron. The separation of pararescue airmen into a separate unit "align[ed] the personnel recovery function within United States Air Forces Europe to the standard Air Force structure," officials said. Creating two rescue squadrons at Lakenheath is intended to replicate combat conditions because pararescumen frequently deploy separately from their rescue helicopters and planes.
These machines served widely with seaplane stations throughout the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The SF-5 was generally disliked by its aircrews, who dubbed it the "Lame Crow" on account of its poor banking and climbing performance and general sluggishness. Crews found that the supposed cruising speed of production examples was in fact their top speed. Some SF-5s perhaps saw action as bombers against Russian forces, but even those flying reconnaissance missions were easy prey for Russian fighters.
The second Combat Airlift Competition was held at Travis Air Force Base from 20 – 24 July 1970. This competition was the first to include Reserve associate aircrews. The number of participating wings grew to eight, however, each wing only sent one aircrew in addition to a single aircraft and maintenance team. Additionally, the two MAC numbered air forces, the 21st Air Force and the 22nd Air Force, each dispatched a Combat Control Team and an Aerial Delivery Team to compete.
Refurbished C-119s, under French markings, were flown into Indochina by 581st crews, and French C-119s were flown out for depot repair at Clark AB. Instructors from the 581st were also tasked to train CIA-employed Civil Air Transport civilian aircrews in the C-119. American support for the French only prolonged the inevitable fall of the former colonial power. In May 1954, the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu, thus ending 100 years of French colonial rule in Indochina.
On 3 July 2008, Carrier Strike Group Seven departed the Sulu Sea and the island of Panay. During its relief mission, the strike group flew 332 sorties over eight consecutive days delivering more than 519,000 pounds (235,414.44 kg) of fresh water, rice, and medical supplies to typhoon victims in Panay. Strike group commander Rear Admiral James P. Wisecup noted: :This was a mission that was tremendously rewarding for our Sailors. The aircrews flew 20–35 missions per day, sunup to sundown.
Although 21 RAF Avro Lancaster bombers did fly from a Soviet airfield in September 1944 in a separate operation - Operation Paravane - to attack the battleship Tirpitz. USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and Red Air Force Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters share an airfield as aircrews swap sorties, 1944. Uncertainty surrounds Soviet objectives in agreeing to the operation. Unlike the Americans, the USSR had no doctrine of victory through aerial bombardment, and had only a rudimentary long-range air force.
The new system was developed to fit the entire range of body types represented by the men and women in current U.S. aircrew population. The PRU-70 is also designed to reduce the bulk, weight and heat stressors commonly encountered by helicopter aircrews flying six or more hours on combat missions. The PRU-70 is also constructed from a material called Halo-Tech. Halo-Tech is as fire retardant as the Nomex material used for flight suits and yet is far more durable.
Moyar, p. 188 Immediately, the South Vietnamese infantrymen were forced to hug the ground. During the next five hours, they managed to launch three major assaults, but failed to break the VC's line of defense. By 09:30, the last of Dam's reserve companies had been airlifted into Tan Hiep, about two hours late because American aircrews were prevented from landing their CH-21 helicopters, known as "flying bananas" for their shape, in the heavy fog that covered Tan Hiep Airfield most of the morning.
135 This UH-1 gunship was one of five helicopters shot down during the Battle of Ap Bac The South Vietnamese units that participated in the battle took heavy losses in their failed attempt to destroy the VC forces. South Vietnamese casualties included 83 killed in action and at least 100 wounded. The American participants, who included advisors and aircrews, counted three dead and eight wounded. Of the 15 American helicopters sent to support the operation, only one escaped undamaged, and five were downed or destroyed.
Following a successful WESTPAC deployment, VP-47 took residence at its new homeport, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. In February 2000, VP-47 was again awarded the prestigious "Golden Wrench" award for its outstanding maintenance record in 1999. In June, VP-47 successfully hosted Maritime Patrol Aircrews from Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom in support of RIMPAC 2000. In December 2000, VP-47 returned to the Persian Gulf on a six-month deployment to support Multinational Maritime Interdiction Operations.
Following the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, 50th aircrews helped relocate survivors from the New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi areas to Little Rock, Arkansas. Humanitarian missions were flown in and out of Haiti following a major earthquake in December 2010. In 2012, elements of the 50th celebrated 70 years of history with members deployed to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in Afghanistan. The squadron was inactivated on 1 April 2016 as part of the 19th Airlift Wings transition to the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules.
The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (1961–90) reporting directly to the Deputy Commander of Operations, Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, to provide command level standardization/evaluation of SAC aircrews, radar scoring of simulated bombing activity by SAC aircraft; and contingency warfare support of ground directed bombing, with detachments in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1990, part of the 1CEVG became the 99 Electronic Combat Range Group and was the 99th Range Group became part of the Nellis AFB 98th Range Wing in 1995.
The wing moved from a manned fighter wing to a multi- mission unit, including the operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft, an ISR group, and a cyber operations squadron, adding them to the unit's distributed training operations center. The 132nd Operations Group operates the MQ-9 Reaper, a remotely piloted aircraft. Aircrew based and physically located in Des Moines carry out missions in all corners of the world. These aircrews provide real-time full-motion video and flexible strike capabilities to combatant commanders around the globe.
349th AMW personnel fly the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and KC-10 Extender. The missions of the aircrews include airlifting personnel and material worldwide as well as aerial refueling a wide variety of aircraft. The mission of the 349th AMW is to "...provide combat ready Airmen and expeditionary support to the war fighter." This makes the wing responsible for training almost 3,500 reservists who work side-by-side with their active duty counterparts in the 60th Air Mobility Wing, also stationed at Travis.
The landing force ships split into two groups, with one group assigned for the assault on Guadalcanal and the other tasked with the assault on Tulagi, Florida, and Gavutu–Tanambogo.Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 60. Aircraft from the aircraft carrier dive-bombed Japanese installations on Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo, and Florida and strafed and destroyed 15 Japanese seaplanes floating in the anchorages near the islands. Several of the seaplanes were warming their engines in preparation for takeoff and were lost with their aircrews and many of their support personnel.
It was not until 1916, under the pressure of the Great War in which aircraft numbers grew rapidly, that the association between the emblem and the unit became official. So that aircrews should be able to recognise other members of their own flight, in order to regroup after dispersal during fighting, the command of the Somme Combat Group, of which flight.3 was then a part, ordered that clear symbols be painted on aircraft. By this time, the flights had been grouped into squadrons.
Warren, p. 23 His airborne advisor, Group Captain Cooper of the Royal Air Force, argued that a glider landing conducted at night with inexperienced aircrews was not practical, but the decision was left unchanged. Montgomery's orders raised several issues, the first with the transport aircraft of the Troop Carrier Wings assigned to the airborne operations. When they had arrived in North Africa, it had been decided that the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing would operate with 1st Airborne Division and its counterpart, the 51st, with 82nd Airborne Division.
After a 6-month reset, the battalion task-organized into a full- spectrum task force and began deployment preparations for deployment to Afghanistan. In January 2011, the task force deployed to Fort Carson, Colorado, for High Altitude Mountain Environmental Training (HAMET), to better prepare the aircrews for the extreme altitudes of Afghanistan's Paktika Province. In May 2011, the task force deployed to FOB Sharana, Paktika, Afghanistan where it conducted full-spectrum aviation operations throughout the Paktika, Paktia, Ghazni and Khost provinces in support of Regional Command (East).
The 3d Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron was not equipped with aircraft. Rather, it operated Camp O'Donnell, Philippines, the Pacific Air Forces Electronic Warfare Range, the Crowe Valley Aerial Gunnery Range, and associated facilities. It provided realistic conventional, tactical, and electronic warfare training in a simulated combat environment during Cope Thunder exercises. These exercises provided combat training for fighter aircrews of not only the US Air Force, but also fighter crews of the US Marine Corps, US Navy, and allied air forces in the western Pacific area.
It had two T2 type hangars and one B1 type. The B1 and one of the T2 hangars can still be seen on the airfield site. The T2 near the threshold of runway 21 was recently acquired by the airfield owners and after many years of industrial use is now, once more, an aircraft hangar. The airfield covered about , and had the usual three runway configuration with perimeter track, hard standings, a brick watchtower and numerous brick and metal buildings for the aircrews and ground staff.
He studied at the University of Minnesota and Spain's Centro de Estudios Historicos. Kluckhohn began his journalistic career with The St. Paul Dispatch as a sports reporter while still a student, later becoming a general reporter at the paper. Joining The New York Times, he served as the newspaper's correspondent reporting from over 70 countries between 1929 and 1947. Reporting on the Spanish Civil War, Kluckhohn was first to report on the German intervention when aircrews entered the hotel he was in at Seville.
Senior Capt. Guan Youfei greeted the first of two U.S. aircrews delivering earthquake relief supplies The Internet was extensively used for passing information to aid rescue and recovery efforts. For example, the official news agency Xinhua set up an online rescue request center in order to find the blind spots of disaster recovery. After knowing that rescue helicopters had trouble landing into the epicenter area in Wenchuan, a student proposed a landing spot online and it was chosen as the first touchdown place for the helicopters.
Those fire fighting mission still continue through the present. The 153d ATG operated the C-121G from 1963 to 1972. In the meantime, the 153d Tactical Airlift Group expanded to regularly flying missions with the US Southern Command out of Howard AFB, Panama, as part of Operation Phoenix Oak. From supplying embassies in Central and South America, to searching for sinking ships in the middle of tropical storms, the Wyoming C-130s and aircrews have carried out military and humanitarian missions, right up to the present day.
Japan also lost control of the southern Solomons and the ability to interdict Allied shipping to Australia. Japan's major base at Rabaul was now further directly threatened by Allied air power. Most importantly, scarce Japanese land, air, and naval forces had disappeared forever into the Guadalcanal jungle and surrounding sea. The Japanese could not replace the aircraft and ships destroyed and sunk in this campaign, as well as their highly trained and veteran crews, especially the naval aircrews, nearly as quickly as the Allies.
Starting in the mid 1990s, newer Wings episodes, sometimes referred to as Wings II, would focus on the history or operations of a particular foreign air force, such as the Israeli Air Force, a foreign aviation company or design bureau such as France's Dassault or Russia's Mikoyan, or the aircraft of a particular conflict such as the Korean War or the Afghan-Soviet War. These episodes, narrated by Stuart Culpepper, often had interviews with the aircrews and famed aviation historian/writer Jeffrey Ethell, the "Fighter Writer".
Knaack, p. 439 These rotational deployments to France continued until October 1965 with the activation of the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base and the 42d being permanently assigned to the 25th Wing. With France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military organization in 1966, Chambley was closed and the 25th Wing was inactivated. The specially-equipped EB-66C's of the 42d and their aircrews were sent directly to Southeast Asia for use over the skies of North Vietnam and the squadron was inactivated.
This school was tasked with giving Lancaster experience to aircrews who had just finished their training at a Heavy Conversion Unit prior to posting to an operational squadron. During 1944, as Lancasters were then being used at Heavy Conversion Units, the Lancaster Finishing Schools were disbanded and Hemswell again took on an operational role. No. 150 and 170 squadrons took up residence and commenced flying bomber operations until the end of the war. The film "Night Bombers" was shot at Hemswell during this period.
All aircrews and aircraft were deployed or on loan to provisional units at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam or U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand. On 19 September 1985 the 7th Air Refueling Squadron was consolidated with the 77th Air Transport Squadron. It remained assigned to the 7th Wing at Carswell until 1 June 1992. Reassigned to the 19th Operations Group at Robins AFB, the squadron was inactivated in 1993 as part of the post Cold War drawdown of the USAF.
Attacks on parachutists, as defined by the law of war, is when pilots, aircrews, and passengers are attacked while descending by parachute from disabled aircraft during wartime. This practice is considered by most militaries around the world to be inhumane, as the attacked personnel would eventually become POWs if parachuted over enemy territory. Attacking parachutists from aircraft in distress is a war crime under the Protocol I addition to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Firing on airborne forces who are descending by parachute is not prohibited.
In 1950, a transport squadron consisting of Dakotas and Bristol Freighters moved into the base from Peshawar before eventually relocating to Chaklala in 1960. From 1949 to 1959, an air force central medical board was also present at the base, responsible for medical certification of PAF aircrews. Throughout the early 1950s, a University Air Squadron and the Shaheen Air Training Corps established their activities in Lahore for aviation education purposes and pilot recruitment programmes. The base also served as a regional control centre for aviation.
Air Warrior (AW) is a modular, integrated, rapidly reconfigurable combat aircrew ensemble designed for U.S. Army aircrews. Previous aviation life support equipment consisted of a non-integrated assemblage of protective and survival gear. AW uses a systems approach to equipping the aircrew and closes the capability gap between human and machine. Fielded incrementally in blocks to rapidly provide enhanced capabilities to the warfighter, AW leverages and integrates clothing and equipment, such as the Army Aircrew Combat Uniform and ballistic protection, from other product managers.
A training school for ferry aircrews was set up at Dorval, Quebec, outside Montreal, but by 1942 Dorval's airspace had become crowded with military aircraft. A new training site was set up at North Bay, taking advantage of the uncluttered skies and freedom from major built-up areas that had made the airport an ideal BEATP/BCATP candidate.Christie 1995, pp. 203–204. On 1 June 1942, ground around the airport was cleared and tents set up for RAF Ferry Command's Trans-Atlantic Training Unit.
The Japanese managed to sink the carrier Hornet , damaged the Enterprise, a battleship, a cruiser, and a destroyer. Yamamoto ordered his subordinates to seek a night battle to finish off the fleeing Americans, but their fuel situation forced them to return to Truk by October 30. Although American losses had been high, the Japanese had been turned back. Two Japanese carriers were heavily damaged and carrier air groups had also been decimated with the greatest single loss of carrier aircrews to date, 148 aviators.
This brought the Japanese air strength there to some 350 aircraft. The air offensive was codenamed Operation I-Go consisting of four major attacks conducted on Allied positions on Guadalcanal, Buna, Port Moresby and Milne Bay on April 7, 11, 12 and 14, respectively. In mid-April, the Japanese concluded the operation claiming success against Allied shipping and defending fighters. In fact, little had been achieved and Japanese losses were heavier than those suffered by the Allies, resulting in further attrition to the vital Japanese carrier aircrews.
K-36DM Ejection seat used on MiG-29, Su-30 A zero-zero ejection seat is designed to safely extract upward and land its occupant from a grounded stationary position (i.e., zero altitude and zero airspeed), specifically from aircraft cockpits. The zero-zero capability was developed to help aircrews escape upward from unrecoverable emergencies during low-altitude and/or low-speed flight, as well as ground mishaps. Parachutes require a minimum altitude for opening, to give time for deceleration to a safe landing speed.
The airfields at Rhein-Main and Wiesbaden began to fill to capacity with planes, and the decision was made to also use Royal Air Force airfields at Celle and Faßberg. The U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and the British Royal Air Force together airlifted more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and medical supplies. Most of the tonnage was carried by the U.S. Air Force. The Berlin Airlift taxed existing USAF resources of cargo aircraft, aircraft engines, skilled aircrews, and maintenance personnel.
It was redesignated the 75th Transport Transition Squadron later that year and trained aircrews on transport aircraft until being disbanded the following year. The 75th was reconstituted as the 75th Air Transport Squadron in 1952. It operated heavy airlift aircraft, primarily in the Pacific area until 1993. Prior to its conversion to provisional status it was last assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it operated C-9A Nightingale aircraft providing theater medical evacuation airlift in Europe until 2003.
The rival firms cooperated during the Second World War, developing safer and increasingly reliable parachute assemblies for aircrews and airborne forces; their parachutes were extensively used throughout the conflict. In the postwar period, both companies continued to advance their products into new fields, including their incorporation into ejector seats, the recovery of space vehicles, brake parachute, and the aerial delivery of very large payloads. The Irvin Airchute Company was ultimately acquired by its long-time collaborator GQ Parachutes. During 2001, the merged entity was named IRVIN-GQ.
He did not agree with this strategy, maintaining until his death that the force should have gone on an offensive to strike Japanese air power instead of being tied to the ground forces. Despite his objections, the force left Pearl Harbor for the Gilbert Islands on 10 November. The invasion began on 20 November. Radford's force was occupied with air strikes on Japanese ground targets, and faced frequent attack by Japanese aircraft in night combat, which U.S. aircrews were not well prepared or equipped for.
In effect, the ARRS had no means to accomplish the CSAR mission in the threat environment of the 1980s and 1990s. While the 20-plus- year-old UH-1, with 1960s and 1970s avionics, was no longer useful, the HH-3E continued to provide a measure of effectiveness because of its air-refueling capability and the use of night vision goggles (NVGs). The latter feature allowed aircrews to operate under the cover of darkness, thus decreasing their vulnerability in low-to-medium threat environments.
Because of these errors, the prototypes hit the target too fast and too hard, and two aircraft failed to release their prototypes, one of which then fell off while the aircraft was turning for a second attempt. It was under such circumstances that Upkeep came to be deployed independently of Highball. In addition to continuing problems in testing Highball, it had been observed at the end of March 1943 that "At best [aircrews] would need two months' special training".Sweetman (2002), Part 1, p. 115.
The D.III entered squadron service in December 1916, and was immediately acclaimed by German aircrews for its maneuverability and rate of climb. Two faults with the new aircraft were soon identified. Like the D.II, early D.IIIs featured a Teves und Braun airfoil-shaped radiator in the center of the upper wing, where it tended to scald the pilot if punctured. From the 290th D.III onward, the radiator was offset to the right on production machines while others were soon moved to the right as a field modification.
The Americans and British then began a joint operation in support of the entire city. Aircrews from the American, British, French, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and South African air forces flew over 200,000 sorties in one year, providing to the West Berliners necessities such as fuel and food, with the original plan being to lift 3,475 tons of supplies daily. By the spring of 1949, that number was often met twofold, with the peak daily delivery totalling 12,941 tons.The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society.
In March 1944, it was removed from combat to focus on training pathfinder aircrews and develop tactics, although its developmental work occasionally required it to fly combat missions. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated. The squadron became a reserve organization, serving as a bombardment unit from 1947–1949 and briefly as an airlift unit in 1952. It became a fighter unit in 1957, but was inactivated when air force reserve fighter units became troop carrier organizations.
On the night of 23/24 April 1944 Peltz once again targeted Bristol after the previous raid's farcical execution. The Luftwaffe was able to ready 117 bombers for the second operation. II./KG 30 sent all of its three Staffel to Orly for the attack, but once there, one-third of the aircrews were left behind. The unit was able to maintain its complement of crews at 30, but previous losses meant the number of experienced crews had declined and novice crews were now populating the Staffel.
Within the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade & Below program, BFT-AVN is a system with varied configurations that allow integration into various Army, joint, and coalition rotary and fixed-wing aircraft types. The system provides commanders, staffs, and other key personnel Situational Awareness of Aviation assets, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. With BFT- AVN, aircrews are able to view positions of friendly forces as well as enemy locations. The system also enables rapid, dynamic tasking and re-tasking of those assets to accomplish Aviation missions in complex environments.
The school was manned primarily by air reserve technicians, and was the first reserve unit to train active duty military. In 1972, the squadron was briefly assigned to the 433d Tactical Airlift Wing at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, when the 446th Wing inactivated, but was soon transferred to the remaining reserve headquarters at Ellington, the 924th Tactical Airlift Group.Ravenstein, pp. 227–228 The squadron continued to train aircrews until 1976, when it was inactivated with the end of reserve flying operations at Ellington.
Smith (1987), p.95 The extension of airmen's tours was extremely unpopular with the aircrews and after a number of operations to targets which had been classified as "softer" actually cost unexpectedly high casualties, the original tour length was reinstated.Stocker (2009), pp.111–112 On completion of an instructional tour at Operational Training Unit or Heavy Conversion Unit, the airmen were sometimes "returned to ops", either at their own request or by routine postings, and would join a newly trained crew and commence another operational tour.
160th ARG KC-135 refuels two U.S. Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat fighters from Fighter Squadron VF-74. In August 1990, the 160th Air Refueling Group was one of the first Air Guard units to deploy aircraft to the Middle East after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Aircraft, aircrews and support personnel began volunteer rotational Desert Shield deployments to a provisional Tanker Task Force at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (1709th ARS (P)). The 160th was called to active duty on 20 December 1990.
Constituted 356 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942. Activated with B-24 bombers on 1 June 1942 at Geiger Field, WA. Moved to; Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 23 Jun 1942 and trained aircrews for bombardment missions. Relocated to Wendover Field, UT, 30 Jul 1942; Pueblo AAB, CO, 30 Sep 1942; Davis-Monthan Field, AZ, 1 Dec 1942; Clovis, NM, 29 Jan 1943; Langley Field, VA, 17 Dec 1943 & Chatham AAFld, GA, 27 Jan-10 Apr 1944. Operating B-17, 1944; B-29, 1945-1946.
Post-war the 474th's mission was to train combat-ready force of aircrews and maintained a rapid-reaction capability to execute fighter attacks against enemy forces and facilities in time of crisis. In 1975, the 428th and 429th Tactical Fighter Squadrons were reassigned to the wing with F-111As (transferred to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, in August 1977) and the 474th Wing absorbed the F-4D Phantom II aircraft, crews, and resources of the inactivating provisional 4474th Tactical Fighter Wing at Nellis in April 1977.
It was the last use of Air Force One by President Kennedy before he was assassinated later that day in Dallas.The Hours before Dallas: A Recollection by President Kennedy's Fort Worth Advance Man, Part 2 By Jeb Byrne Prologue Magazine Summer 2000, Vol. 32, No. 2 On 13 April 1965, the 7th Bomb Wing deployed its forces to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam to bomb the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Most of the wing's bombers and tankers, along with aircrews and some support personnel, were deployed.
This was the first operational unit to use the newly constructed McCook airfield. On 28 September the Group was reassigned to Charleston AAB, South Carolina North American B-24J Liberator 42-78489 over a target. This aircraft was later lost on 20 March 1945 On 2 December 1943 the aircrews and some key ground personnel were sent to Mitchel Field, New York in preparation for deployment overseas. These personnel were subsequently transferred to Morrison Field, Florida and flew the southern route to North Africa.
It meant that very expensively trained and experienced aviators could be rescued from a watery grave or brutal captivity and put back into the fight. American aircrews captured after being shot down over the Japanese home islands faced a grim fate. VH-3 squadron members related "how intense, intense every crew member became .. over this business of saving lives" , "the marvelous feeling of reward when saving a downed pilot's life", and "nose- thumbing at the Japanese military .. when we swiped near-prisoners under their eye".
The RAFMRS rescued many American aircrew, or recovered remains, from USAF crashes over its UK territory. As crashes during over-water flights created a great many casualties, the Eighth Air Force initiated a 'sea rescue' group. From its creation in 1943 until the end of the war, the recovery rate of aircrews downed at sea rose from less than five percent to over forty percent. In the vast reaches of the Pacific Theater, a plane crash meant almost certain death from exposure to the elements.
90th Missile Wing Heritage Pamphlet, p. 15 With the assignment of the 90th Air Refueling Squadron in 1955, the wing began to fly air refueling missions as well as reconnaissance flights. In May 1958, the wing returned to the training mission serving as a combat crew training wing for RB-47 aircrews until it was inactivated on 20 June 1960. The wing's personnel and equipment were transferred to the 40th Bombardment Wing, which moved to Forbes on paper from Schilling Air Force Base, Kansas the same day.
If this is factual, then the 427th SOS aircrews must be proficient in smaller types of aircraft in order to familiarize US Army personnel with their characteristics, peculiarities, and capabilities. The Army's 160th SOAR (A) uses rotary wing platforms (MH-60, MH-47, MH-6/AH-6). AFSOC primarily uses fixed-wing aircraft (MC-130, AC-130, CASA-212) with the exception of its CV-22's. The 427th likely uses non- standard airframes that are usually found in 3rd world or former eastern bloc nations.
On 6 June, the aircraft carrier stood out of Majuro with TF 58 and set a course for the Mariana Islands. After five days steaming, she reached the launch point and began sending planes aloft for the preliminary softening up of targets in preparation for the invasion of Saipan. Yorktown aircrews concentrated primarily upon airfields located on Guam. Those raids continued until 13 June, when Yorktown, with two of the task groups of TF 58, steamed north to hit targets in the Bonin Islands.
In addition to its alert commitment, the squadron deployed aircraft and aircrews to support Tanker Task Forces in Europe, the Pacific and Alaska. During the Vietnam War, from the mid 1960s, the squadron deployed forces to the Pacific to other units to support Operation Arc Light and Operation Rolling Thunder. By mid-1972 all of the squadron's tankers were operating with other Strategic Air Command units in the Pacific.Ravenstein, p. 138 In September 1985, the 97th was consolidated with the 97th Bombardment Squadron into a single unit.
In November 1944, the squadron began operating from the Philippines. Initially the Army was unable to support its OA-10s, and for several months, they were supported by the Navy's seaplane tenders, and . This support continued even after the arrival of the squadron's ground echelon. During the last four months of the war, the squadron began to operate Boeing SB-17 Dumbos, which were equipped with a 27-foot long life boat with survival equipment that could be dropped to downed aircrews, in addition to its Catalinas.
Furthermore, the USAF investigation report incorrectly stated that Martin had no authority to terminate the engagement when, in fact, he did. The GAO report added that the failure of Wickson and May to report their contact to Martin was indicative of a well-known, general lack of discipline among F-15 aircrews involved in OPC and this was not discussed in the USAF report.GAO, "Operation Provide Comfort"; Diehl, Silent Knights, pp. 252–53; Snook, Friendly Fire, p. 65, Hall; Michael, My Son, pp. 274–82.
German aircrews had been told the RAF was a defeated force and the German bomber units that had seen the Big Wing form up were quite shocked, and those crews in the badly hit units, including KG 2 and KG 3, that had witnessed head-on collisions with German aircraft were badly shaken.Bungay 2000, p. 334. A German victory on the Battle of Britain Day was unlikely. It could only have been possible if Park had made crass errors and had been caught on the ground.
The veteran ATA aircrews delivered many thousands of military aircraft to operational units which had been built, modified or repaired at Ringway, Woodford, Barton and at other northwest aircraft factories and airfields. Over 4,400 warplanes were built at Ringway by Fairey Aviation and Avro. The aircraft included the Fairey Battle, Fairey Fulmar, Fairey Barracuda, Bristol Beaufighter, Handley Page Halifax and Fairey Gannet. Avro's experimental department, located in Ringway's 1938-built northside hangar between mid-1939 and late 1945, completed the prototype Avro Manchester bomber.
Although nominally based at Cranwell, elementary training largely takes place at nearby RAF Barkston Heath. After elementary training, aircrews streamed to fly multi-engine aircraft and rear-seat roles are trained by No. 45(R) Squadron, which operate five Embraer Phenom 100. On 16 January 2018, the Skyes Building was opened at Cranwell by Air Marshal Sean Reynolds, the Deputy Commander Capability and Senior Responsible Owner of the UKMFTS. The building acts as a UKMFTS operational support building and is used to train new RAF pilots.
On 12 January 1945 Terboven hand-delivered Schuck's affidavit in support of Ehrler to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. Further investigations and testimonies indicated that the aircrews did not know that the Tirpitz had been moved to the new location at Håkøya a couple of weeks earlier, and Heinrich Ehrler was a convenient scapegoat for the failure to protect Tirpitz. The investigation concluded the reason for the failure was poor communication between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe. Ehrler was exonerated.
The 28th Operational Weather Squadron is responsible for producing and disseminating mission planning and execution weather analyses, forecasts, and briefings for US Air Force, USCENTCOM forces. This weather squadron is responsible for base or post forecasting, developing weather products, briefing transient aircrews, and weather warnings for all of their geographical units. Using automatic observing systems located at all military installations and communicating with their combat weather flights, the squadron is able to 'watch' the weather in their entire area of responsibility from one central location.
In 1966, Military Air Transport Service (MATS) became Military Airlift Command and replaced its former Major Command Controlled (MAJCON or 4 digit) units with AFCON units. As part of this transformation, the 56th replaced the 1740th Air Transport Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in January 1966. The 1740th had been organized by MATS on 5 September 1951 as the 1740th Air Transport Squadron (Transition Training Unit) at McChord Air Force Base and was assigned to the 1705th Air Transport Wing. It moved to Palm Beach Air Force Base in July 1952 and to Tinker Air Force Base in March 1959 when MATS moved its training wing. At Tinker, the squadron provided training for aircrews in Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. Redesignated 56 Military Airlift Squadron, Training, and activated on 27 Dec 1965. In January 1966, the 56th Military Airlift Squadron replaced the 1740th and continued to train Globemaster crews through 1968. With the arrival of the Air Force's first C-5 Galaxy on 17 December 1969, the 56th became the first operational C-5 squadron in the Air Force. It provided training and transition-flying training for aircrews in C-5 aircraft from 1969 to 2007.
That same year, the 728th Airlift Squadron flew into Hanoi, Vietnam, to repatriate the remains of 10 Americans who were listed as missing in action. In 1996, aircrews from the 446th Airlift Wing elect to stay on for extra duty flying out of Germany to allow active-duty aircrews to return to the United States as part of Operation Joint Endeavor. The 728th Airlift Squadron flew humanitarian aid to Chad in Africa as part of the Denton Amendment. The 728th also flew a team from the Puget Sound Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to Atlanta to support the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. In 1997, the 728th AS flew into Beijing, China, to repatriate what is believed to be five service members listed as missing in action from World War II. Nearly 70 medical professionals from the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron were among 2,000 people participated in the massive medical exercise Patriot Medstar at Westover Air Reserve Base, MA. Aircrew members from the 313th AS and 728th AS airlifted four victims from the Korean Air jetliner crash in Guam to hospitals at Kelley AFB, Texas.
Japanese aircrews reported three cruisers sunk during the attack: one "Augusta class cruiser", one Tromp-class cruiser type and one Java-class cruiser. However, no ships of the latter class were present during the attack, and only Marblehead and Houston were damaged. At Tjilatjap, Houston and Marblehead transferred their wounded to a hospital and buried their dead. Marblehead would not fit in the dry dock, but the hole in the hull was temporarily repaired, and the ship sailed for the east coast of the U.S.—by way of Ceylon and South Africa—for repairs.
The memorial to the aircrews of 57 and 630 Squadron The airfield was originally built in 1943 as a Bomber Command Station and was used by both No. 57 Squadron RAF and No. 630 Squadron RAF from 1943 until the end of the war. It had four years of post–war use by United States Air Force for Air Rescue squadrons before military use ceased in 1958. The airfield was sold in 1964. Much of the runway is still intact today and it is used by local farmers as hard standing.
In a 12-month period, more than 500 aircraft fly more than 20,000 sorties, while training more than 5,000 aircrews and 14,000 support and maintenance personnel. Before a "flag" begins, the Red Flagstaff conducts a planning conference where unit representatives and planning staff members develop the size and scope of their participation. All aspects of the exercise, including billeting of personnel, transportation to Nellis AFB, range coordination, ordnance/munitions scheduling, and development of training scenarios, are designed to be as realistic as possible, fully exercising each participating unit's capabilities and objectives.
At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 870th drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished. Key personnel trained with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida.
The 870th deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations, with the ground echelon sailing 30 July on the SS Fairisle, passing through Honolulu and Eniwetok before arriving at Saipan on 20 September.Stewart & Potter, pp. 46, 58 Upon arrival the squadron's personnel were engaged in construction. By mid-October most personnel were able to move into Quonset huts from the tents which they were assigned on arrival. The aircrews began departing Kansas on 6 October, ferrying their aircraft to Saipan via a 6500 nautical mile route, with the last B-29 arriving on 30 October.
26 In December the squadron moved on paper to Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico. At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 871st drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished.
By mid-October most personnel were able to move into Quonset huts from the tents which they were assigned on arrival. The aircrews began departing Kansas on 6 October, ferrying their aircraft to Saipan via a 6500 nautical mile route, with the last B-29 arriving on 30 October. At Saipan the unit became part of the XXI Bomber Command at Isely Field. The squadron began operations on 28 October 1944 with a night attack against the submarine pens at Truk Islands and attacks against Iwo Jima in early November.
The Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) encompasses more than of airspace east of NAS Fallon, including a vast array of electronic systems supporting squadron, airwing and SFTI training. The heart of this program is the Advanced Digital Display System or ADDS. This computer-supported real-time digital display allows monitoring of each training event as it occurs on the ranges and recording capability for debriefing. Information is transmitted instantaneously from each aircraft to large screen displays at NAWDC and recorded for playback to the aircrews for post flight analysis of procedures and tactics.
26 In December the squadron moved on paper to Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico. At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 872nd drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished.
Starting at 09:30, Enterprise landed many of the damaged and fuel-depleted CAP fighters and returning scout aircraft from both carriers. However, with her flight deck full, and the second wave of incoming Japanese aircraft detected on radar at 09:30, Enterprise ceased landing operations at 10:00. Fuel-depleted aircraft then began ditching in the ocean, and the carrier's escorting destroyers rescued the aircrews. One of the ditching aircraft, a damaged TBF from Enterprise strike force that had been attacked earlier by Zeros from Zuihō, crashed into the water near the destroyer .
91st TRS RF-4C at Bergstrom AFB aircraft is McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II serial 69-376. Taken in 1973. The squadron was reactivated as a McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, performing replacement pilot training in February 1967 and flying tactical reconnaissance missions beginning in July 1971. It conducted reconnaissance training of USAF, US Marine Corps, and allied RF-4 reconnaissance aircrews between 1982 and 1989; acted as adviser to Air National Guard reconnaissance units until 1992; performed reconnaissance missions supporting the US Customs Service beginning in 1983.
McAuliffe, p. 342 In July 1955, the squadron's mission was changed from night intruder missions to the delivery of nuclear weapons.McAuliffe, p. 344 Starting in January 1956, the squadron, along with the other squadrons of the 38th Wing, began to rotate aircrews and aircraft to Landstuhl Air Base, where they stood alert with nuclear weapons (called Zulu Alert). The squadron also participated in the wing's maintenance of twelve aircraft on alert at its home station. To maintain efficiency in its operational mission, the squadron deployed to Wheelus Air Base, Libya for gunnery and bombing practice.
The wing placed aircraft on peacetime quick reaction alert duty, and conducted global bombardment training for Emergency War Order operations and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. During the Vietnam War, the 319th Bomb Wing's mission expanded to include sending bomber and tanker aircrews on temporary duty assignments to support B-52 and KC-135 operations from 1963 to 1974. Tanker crews participated in refueling operations for both bombers and fighters. The bomb crews flew B-52Ds from bases at Andersen AFB, Guam; Kadena AB, Okinawa, and U-Tapao RTNAF, Thailand.
Other AVCATT modules, such as the Non-Rated Crewmember Manned Module ((NCM3), a sub-system of AVCATT), can be linked to this base configuration to support specific unit training requirements. The NCM3 supports the training of non-rated crew members in crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and slingload-related tasks. AVCATT is a mobile, transportable, multi-station device that supports unit collective and combined arms training for helicopter aircrews. The AVCATT occupies two trailers with six reconfigurable modules for Apache Longbow, Chinook, Kiowa Warrior and Black Hawk.
German casualties amounted to three Bf 109s destroyed, two severely damaged and two Bf 110s severely damaged, a case of overclaiming by both sides. Seven Bf 110s and one Bf 109 suffered light damage. Johann Fuhrmann and Roman Stiegler were the only pilots to die in this action; Dietrich Robitzsch from Jagdgruppe 101, wrote-off a Bf 109 but was uninjured; Feldwebel Hans Troitzsch (Bf 109) and Leutnant Gustav Uellenbeck (Bf 110) were wounded. British aircrews also claimed between sixty and eighty fighters engaging in combat over the Heligoland Bight.
When radio contact is not possible, the DZSTL must ensure DZ markings are properly displayed as pre- briefed to convey the appropriate message to aircrews. The DZST must have radio contact with the drop aircraft for several types of drops. The DZSTL must also evaluate the condition of the DZ before the drop to ensure that it is suitable for a safe personnel landing, as well as to ensure that airdropped equipment can be recovered. The DZSTL places personnel, vehicles, and support equipment so they are not endangered by the airdrop.
Despite occasional attempts at standardization, a great deal of latitude was noted in flight clothing; on combat missions RLAF aircrews relied on an inconsistent American- run supply system supplemented by items purchased during training in Thailand. Although US Olive Green (OG) flight suits were provided, Laotian pilots often wore commercial black and camouflage flight suits or standard issue Royal Lao Army (RLA) OG and camouflage combat jungle fatigues in lieu, usually with a US Air Force survival mesh vest.Conboy and McCouaig, The War in Laos 1960–75 (1989), pp. 16–17; 35; 44.
Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft, aircrews and supporting personnel deploy from the United States to Muniz ANGB to provide theater airlift support for the U.S. Southern Command. One C-130 of the unit is on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, in order to deliver special forces as required. Coronet Oak shares the Muñiz flight line with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. The 156th retired the C-130Es in 2012, being one of the last units still operating the type.
It proved a great success and in August eight squadrons began "standing alert" using volunteer aircrews on a rotating basis for 14 hours a day. In October, nine more squadrons joined the program. The ANG runway alert program required some planes and pilots to be available around-the-clock to become airborne within minutes of being notified to scramble. At its peak in the mid-1950s, all 70 Air National Guard fighter squadrons participated in that program, although that number was reduced to 25 by 1961 due to budget constraints.
Reactivated in 1947 under SAC as a paper unit, it was not manned or equipped and was inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints. It was re-activated in 1950 and used as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel being deployed to the Far East Air Forces during the Korean War. The propeller-driven B-29s were replaced with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953. These aircraft were capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union.
No. 9 Squadron was a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The squadron was formed in early 1939 and saw active service in World War II as a fleet co-operation unit providing aircrews for seaplanes operating off Royal Australian Navy cruisers. It was disbanded in late 1944, but was re-raised in 1962 and later became an Army co-operation unit, flying helicopters in support of Australian troops during the Vietnam War. The squadron was disbanded in 1989 when the RAAF transferred its battlefield helicopters to the Australian Army's aviation regiments.
Operations in South Vietnam proved hazardous, with aircrews regularly exposed to ground fire, poor flying conditions, nighttime medevacs and dangerously small jungle landing zones that were sometimes booby trapped with land mines. The unit lost seven Iroquois and two crewmen in action during its deployment. As part of the general Australian withdrawal, No. 9 Squadron departed South Vietnam on 8 December 1971. Upon its return to Australia, No. 9 Squadron was based at RAAF Base Amberley, where it continued to provide airlift to the Australian Army and search and rescue for the civilian community.
"Civil Air Patrol Volunteers Comb the Clouds for Uncle Sam," The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, July 26, 1942. Ohio, far removed from the U-boat menace, resolved to contribute to the coastal patrol effort. In July 1942, Vorys made an open request for volunteers to help form an all-Ohio CAP Coastal Patrol base, which was authorized on July 16, 1942 by the activation of Coastal Patrol Base No. 14 at Panama City, Florida. Aircrews spotted oil slicks, debris, reported suspected U-boats, remains of crashed aircraft, and anything out of the ordinary.
Finally, at 10:51 Shōkaku scout aircrews realized they were mistaken in their identification of the oiler and destroyer as aircraft carriers. Takagi now realized the U.S. carriers were between him and the invasion convoy, placing the invasion forces in extreme danger. At 11:15, the torpedo bombers and fighters abandoned the mission and headed back towards the carriers with their ordnance, while the 36 dive bombers attacked the two U.S. ships.A Shōkaku torpedo plane which ditched at Indispensable Reefs on 7 May 1942, photographed on 9 June; ; ; ; ; .
No effort appears to have been made to combine the surviving Shōkaku aircrews with Zuikakus air groups or to quickly provide Zuikaku with replacement aircraft so she could participate with the rest of the Combined Fleet at Midway. Shōkaku herself was unable to conduct further aircraft operations, with her flight deck heavily damaged, and she required almost three months of repair in Japan. Historians H. P. Willmott, Jonathan Parshall, and Anthony Tully believe Yamamoto made a significant strategic error in his decision to support MO with strategic assets.
Meanwhile, 82 Japanese bombers and fighters from the 11th Air Fleet and from the aircraft carriers and attacked Henderson Field in six waves throughout the day and were engaged by CAF fighters and Marine anti-aircraft guns. By the end of the day, the Japanese had lost 11 fighters, two bombers, and one reconnaissance aircraft along with most of the aircrews in the downed aircraft. Two CAF fighters were destroyed in the day's fighting but both pilots survived. The Japanese air attacks caused only light damage to Henderson Field and the American defenses.
After an exchange of carrier air attacks, Allied surface ships retreated from the battle area with the loss of one carrier sunk and another heavily damaged. The participating Japanese carrier forces, however, also retreated because of high aircraft and aircrew losses and significant damage to two carriers. This was a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk and damaged, but the loss of veteran aircrews was a long-term strategic advantage for the Allies, whose aircrew losses in the battle were relatively low.Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, pp.
It required the fuelling site to be flooded with water, and (during the trials campaigns) very early morning preparations because of the heat experienced during Australian summer. Another issue was the very small ground clearance when attached to the Handley Page Victor, and Victor aircrews were especially aware of the dangers when taking off. (The Vulcan had a much higher ground clearance, and ultimately proved a better platform). On launch the rocket engine's first chamber developing thrust would power the missile along a predetermined course to the target at around Mach 1.5.
The aircrews generically called the agents "Joes", and for the most part did not get to know them. If the aircraft was a little too low it made for a rough landing, and a number of agents were injured. Over the course of the war 6 agents were killed from failed drops, the result of either the aircraft being too low or the chute failing to open. Agent drop operations almost always went off during the moon period, though occasionally "blind drops" were completed to empty fields in the dark period.
The pawn is canted at a 45 degree angle inside a shield design. It is also said that the aircrews said they were called the Green Pawns for two reasons: it was the Fleet Replacement Squadron (responsible for training new aircrew and aircraft maintainers; thereby, they were green, or new); and their squadron was a pawn which could be pushed around by the fleet and the senior commands. Colors are as follows: green pawn; background of the shield is white outlined in green; and the scroll is white outlined in green with green lettering.
Before taking off, he had told his men that if his plane were to become badly damaged he would crash it into a "worthy enemy target". Axell, p. 44. But in most cases, little evidence exists that such hits represented more than accidental collisions of the kind that sometimes happen in intense sea or air battles. The carrier battles in 1942, particularly Midway, inflicted irreparable damage on the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS), such that they could no longer put together a large number of fleet carriers with well-trained aircrews.
It flew Consolidated B-24 Liberators in the Pacific during World War II, where it earned two Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in combat. After VJ Day, the squadron remained in the Philippines until January 1946, when it was inactivated. The squadron was again activated in 1951 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit. After moving to Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, it served as a training unit for Strategic Air Command units and aircrews in the B-29.
Immediately after the formal surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, Albury flew with Tibbetts, Sweeney and close to twenty other members of their aircrews to Japan. The group eventually reached Nagasaki and witnessed on the ground the destruction caused by the atomic bomb.Sweeney: 247, 252–58 Albury stated repeatedly during his life that he did not have any remorse for the attack or his role in the attack on Nagasaki, noting that many more lives would have been lost if the United States had launched a full invasion of mainland Japan.
SFWSP/L instructors regularly fly with local squadrons and host various conferences at their respective facilities while not at Fallon, many flights are part of Strike Fighter Weapons and Tactics (SFWT) program which is a syllabus for employing the F/A-18 in combat, all F/A-18 aircrews take part in SFWT, SFWSP/L instructors teaches safe and sound execution of section and division tactics in accordance with the latest recommendations from TOPGUN. SFWSL is staffed with 25 permanently assigned officers and 26 enlisted personnel and seven civilians.
Most passenger transport missions except the Special Air Mission were contracted out by MAC to commercial airlines such as Pan American, TWA, United, Continental, Northwest and charter companies such as Flying Tiger, using the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). This provided commercial airline pilots and aircrews valuable training, and during the years of the Vietnam War, seeing Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 commercial airliners at MAC aerial ports in Southeast Asia was a common sight. On 1 December 1974, MAC expanded its mission by acquiring the theater troop carrying and tactical airlift mission (i.e.
The VIII Air Force Composite Command was a subordinate command of Eighth Air Force. It was originally responsible for combat training of aircrews arriving from the United States, a mission it continued until near the end of the war, when the air divisions began the training. Starting in late winter of 1944, the command took over special operations missions, including night leaflet dropping, infiltration of agents behind enemy lines and supplying resistance forces in occupied countries. As Allied forces advanced across Europe, most of its personnel were used to form provisional disarmament units.
In 1990 the squadron deployed to Riyadh AB, Saudi Arabia with the military build-up prior to Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In 1992, the unit (and its superior unit the 552 Wing) came under the authority of the newly formed Air Combat Command. Throughout the early to mid-1990s, 963d aircrews routinely deployed to Incirlik AB, Turkey to support the northern Iraqi no-fly zone (Operation Provide Comfort). Crews from the 963d also continued operations in Saudi Arabia on the southern no-fly zone (Operation Southern Watch).
The Ninth Air Force was scheduled to receive three night fighter squadrons with a mission to effect night air defence of US airfields when these were established on the Continent. RAF Charmy Down was selected as an airfield for these squadrons which would arrive individually, not as part of a group, and were to be equipped with the new Northrop P-61 Black Widow. Personnel of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron arrived first on 7 March 1944 and had their aircrews posted to various RAF night fighter and signal schools for theatre indoctrination.
The 305th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 305th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, where it was inactivated on 20 August 1993. The first predecessor of the squadron was the 605th Bombardment Squadron which served as a training unit for heavy bomber aircrews during World War II until it was disbanded in a major reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944. The 305th Squadron was activated in 1953 in 1953 with Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter aircraft.
270 OTUs were oversized parent units that provided cadres to "satellite groups" Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In October 1943, the squadron moved to Peterson Field, Colorado, where it flew Consolidated B-24 Liberator and changed its mission to become a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual aircrews. However, the AAF was finding that standard military units like the 542d, which were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission.
The 43d Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the 4170th on 15 November 1960 and changed its suffix from "Medium" to "Heavy" in preparation for transition to the KC-135A. The 43d AREFS flew its last KC-97 mission in October 1960. The first crews of the 43d arrived on 19 March 1961 from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and the first of the KC-135's arrived on 24 March 1961. With this new aircraft, 43d aircrews over the next few years refueled aircraft virtually everywhere in the world.
Aircraft and crews deployed temporarily to Guam, Alaska, Greenland, Spain, England, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Colonel David A. Tate assumed command of the 4170th Strategic Wing in November 1961 and, on 1 February 1963, when the wing was redesignated the 462nd Strategic Aerospace Wing, Colonel Tate became the commander of the newly designated unit. The redesignation of the wing was part of the Air Force's program to honor former units with outstanding combat records. In August 1964, 43d aircrews deployed to Clark AB, Philippines, to begin supporting combat in Southeast Asia.
270 OTUs were oversized parent units that provided cadres to "satellite groups" Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In October 1943, the squadron moved to Peterson Field, Colorado, where it flew Consolidated B-24 Liberator and changed its mission to become a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual aircrews. However, the AAF was finding that standard military units like the 541st, which were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission.
The 58th Fighter Squadron is part of the 33d Fighter Wing, a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C, organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Its mission is to train US Air Force operators and maintainers on employment and maintenance of the F-35 Lightning II "A" model, as part of the overall 33d FW mission of training American and international aircrews and maintainers of US Air Force, Us Navy, US Marine Corps, and international Air Forces.
The Japanese carriers returned to home waters after a cease-fire had been declared on 3 March. Aircrews of Kaga received a special commendation from the commander of the Third Fleet, Vice Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura, for their actions. The actions of the Japanese aviators over Shanghai represented the first significant air operations over East Asia and for the IJN, it also marked the first combat operations from its aircraft carriers. The attack on Zhabei was also the most destructive aerial attack on an urban area until the Condor Legion's attack on Guernica, five years later.
The Microclimate Cooling System (MCS) gives Army aircrews an increase of over 350 percent (from 1.6 hours to 5.7 hours) mission endurance while wearing chemical protective equipment or in other heat stress mission environments. The system features a vest and aircraft-mounted cooling unit that pumps chilled water via an umbilical to small tubes embedded in the vest. Because of its success as part of the Air Warrior ensemble, the MCS is also being used by crews in ground vehicle platforms in Operation Iraqi Freedom, including Stryker, Abrams, and Bradley.
On 12 June the commanding officer of the 559th Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Paul M. Hall, was killed in an airplane crash while making a ground-controlled approach. The squadron redeployed to Bergstrom Air Force Base in August. Over a period of several months after returning to its home base in August 1953, the 559th Strategic Fighter Squadron made special efforts to qualify all of its aircrews as combat ready. At the same time it was interested in requalifying combat ready crews in various phases of bombing and gunnery techniques.
A tentative schedule for equipping with the F-101 was set for May through October 1957. Training in the new aircraft for aircrews and maintenance personnel of the wing began at Bergstrom in November 1956. This training was discontinued after about a month, however, following a decision by higher headquarters not to equip the wing with the F-101 aircraft. Cessna T-37Bs of 559 FTS at Randolph AFB, Texas, in 1975 Effective 1 July 1957, the 559th was redesignated a fighter-day squadron and assigned to the Tactical Air Command.
270 OTUs were oversized parent units that provided cadres to "satellite groups" Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi In October 1943, the squadron moved to Peterson Field, Colorado, where it flew Consolidated B-24 Liberator and changed its mission to become a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units, but their mission was to train individual aircrews. However, the AAF was finding that standard military units like the 540th, which were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission.
While at MacDill, the 27th trained aircrews in the F-4E Phantom II. In June 1975, the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron was moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, becoming the first operational squadron to fly the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter in 1976. The unit was redesignated the 27th Fighter Squadron on 1 September 1991. The 27th TFS deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm as part of the first U.S. Air Force contingent in Saudi Arabia. The squadron was integral in establishing allied air superiority during the operation.
From the late 1920s, the Imperial Japanese Navy had developed a doctrine of operating floatplanes from submarines to search for targets.Layman and McLaughlin 1991, p. 176. In December 1941, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, proposed constructing a large fleet of submarine aircraft carriers (also designated STo or sen-toku — special submarine) whose purpose was to mount aerial attacks against American coastal cities. The submarines would surface to launch their aircraft by catapult, submerge to avoid detection, then surface again to retrieve the aircrews who would ditch their planes nearby.
The reconstruction eliminated the difference between "short-hull" and "long-hull" ships; all now had similar clipper bows. The island was completely redesigned, made taller, but shorter in overall length with the removal of its gun mounts. In addition, the boiler uptakes were rebuilt and angled aft to accommodate a single radar and communications mast atop the island. To better protect aircrews, ready rooms were moved from the gallery deck to below the armored hangar deck, with a large escalator on the starboard side amidships to move flight crews up to the flight deck.
This model was mass-produced throughout the rest of the Second World War, being used by both aircrews and airborne forces alike, and for several decades after the war's end. One high-profile example of its use was during the D-Day Landings, the delivery of the advance airborne units over Normandy made extensive use of the X-Type parachute assembly. Both companies were able to maintain relevance following the end of the conflict; their products were adapted to suit the high-speed military aircraft that arrived during the 1950s and 1960s.
From 5 November until February 1944 the squadron returned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island for leave and reassignment of personnel. Only four aircraft were able to depart Attu, the rest being unserviceable. On 3 February 1944, the squadron was reformed with new squadron personnel and aircraft. Transition training commenced for aircrews, many of whom had never flown the PV-1 Ventura. On 19 April 1944 the squadron flew to Naval Air Station Adak, where special training began on the use of LORAN for long-distance navigation in the hostile environment of the far north.
In SOUTHCOM, VP-5 provided combat ready aircrews to execute missions in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South's (JIATF-S) counter narcotics mission. They successfully prevented drug traffickers from delivering over 30.7 metric tons of illegal narcotics worth over 2.8 billion dollars to the shores of the United States. This deployment also included redeployment to Natal, Brazil, to support the search and rescue effort for Air France Flight 447. VP-5 coordinated operations and search tactics with the Brazilian Search and Rescue Center and flew three flights searching over of sea space.
A detachment of No. 77 and 109 Squadron Whitleys from RAF Driffield returned the same month to undertake bombing missions in Norway, departing Kinloss in May. Kinloss was transferred to No. 4 Group on 27 May 1940, at the time part of RAF Bomber Command. At the same time No. 19 Operational Training unit (19 OTU) was formed and tasked with training aircrews on heavy bomber aircraft before deployment onto operational squadrons. The unit was initially equipped with 48 Whitleys and 16 Avro Anson and the first training courses began in June 1940.
189th Airlift Squadron C-130E 62-1846 on the flight line at Gowen Field, 4 March 2004. Prior to its activation as a squadron in 1995, the 189th Airlift Squadron was initially formed on 1 April 1984 as the 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Flight. Its mission was a Formal Training Unit (FTU) for aircrews being assigned to the 124th Tactical Reconnaissance (later Fighter) group flying RF-4C Phantom II reconnaissance and later F-4G Phantom II electronic warfare aircraft. On 16 March 1992 it was re-designated as the 189th Fighter Flight.
After the war the 423d remained in Europe with the occupation forces until inactivating in 1946. The squadron was activated again at Langley AFB, Virginia and served as a combat crew training squadron for aircrews flying the Douglas B-26 Invader. It was inactivated in 1954 as the B-26 was being withdrawn from active service and the need for crew training on the aircraft decreased. The third active period for the unit began in 1958 when Strategic Air Command (SAC) expanded its Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings from three to four squadrons.
But today, ICD's unique outfit probably would > have made the story a trifle less stark. Aerial supply drops of maps and > pertinent homing information would have made the walk-out perhaps less > circuitous, while certainly the hardships would have been alleviated by air- > dropped medical supplies, food and clothing. S & R members have parachuted > to lost aircrews to furnish medical aid and walkout assistance. As a direct > result of the unit's work, the percentage of saved personnel steadily > mounted and with it the confidence and assurance of ICD flight crews.
McAuliffe, p. 342 In July 1955, the squadron's mission was changed from night intruder missions to the delivery of nuclear weapons.McAuliffe, p. 344 Starting in January 1956, the squadron, along with the other squadrons of the 38th Wing, began to rotate aircrews and aircraft to Landstuhl Air Base, where they stood alert with nuclear weapons (called Zulu Alert). The squadron also participated in the wing's maintenance of twelve aircraft on alert at its home station. To maintain efficiency in its operational mission, the squadron deployed to Wheelus Air Base, Libya for gunnery and bombing practice.
390 After arriving in Florida, the squadron resumed training for deployment overseas, but was soon assigned the mission of acting as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The RTU was an oversized unit organized to provide final training for individual pilots or aircrews. Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi Initially the squadron flew a mix of the A-36 Apache and early model P-51 versions of the Mustang fighter, but by the end of the year had become a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt training unit at Galveston Army Air Field, Texas.
In 1979, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve assumed full responsibility for airlift operations in Panama. In mid-December 1989, squadron aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel deployed for Exercise Volant Oak at Howard Air Force Base, in the Panama Canal Zone It flew combat airlift missions for United States Southern Command during Operation Just Cause, the replacement of Manuel Noriega as the ruler of Panama. More than 100 combat sorties were flown, with no casualties or damage to aircraft. In August 1986 the Wing received the new C-130H aircraft.
390 After arriving in Florida, the squadron resumed training for deployment overseas, but was soon assigned the mission of acting as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The RTU was an oversized unit organized to provide final training for individual pilots or aircrews. Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi Initially the squadron flew a mix of the A-36 Apache and early model P-51 versions of the Mustang fighter, but by the end of the year had become a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt training unit at Galveston Army Air Field, Texas.
Was reactivated in 1962 at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, equipped with swept-wing Republic F-84F Thunderstreak tactical fighters. Received new McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs in 1964, one of the first squadrons in the Air Force to fly the new fighter. Conducted tactical fighter combat crew training for the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron participated in a variety of exercises, operations and readiness tests of Tactical Air Command, becoming a replacement training unit for F-4 aircrews prior to their deployment to Southeast Asia beginning in 1965.
It was reorganized on 15 Apr 1963 as a B-52G Stratofortress Squadron, receiving equipment and personnel from the inactivating 73d Bombardment Squadron. The squadron conducted strategic bombardment training and global refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. Aircraft, most aircrews and maintenance personnel, and other support personnel were loaned to other SAC units for combat operations in Southeast Asia, 27 May 1972 – 15 July 1973. The squadron returned to nuclear alert after the end of the Vietnam War, but was inactivated as a result of the retirement of the B-52Gs in 1982.
Those fire fighting mission still continue through the present. In the meantime, the 153d Tactical Airlift Group expanded to regularly flying missions with the US Southern Command out of Howard AFB, Panama, as part of Operation Phoenix Oak. From supplying embassies in Central and South America, to searching for sinking ships in the middle of tropical storms, the Wyoming C-130s and aircrews have carried out military and humanitarian missions, right up to the present day. Those missions continued through Operation Just Cause in 1989–90 when Panama was designated a combat zone.
At each base, the group was composed of a material squadron, a troop carrier squadron, a tactical hospital or dispensary, and a combat support squadron. Each troop carrier wing consisted of 3 or 4 of these groups. By doing so, ConAC could facilitate the mobilization of either aircraft and aircrews alone, aircraft and minimum support personnel (one troop carrier group), or the entire troop carrier wing. This also gave ConAC the flexibility to expand each Wing by attaching additional squadrons, if necessary from other Reserve wings to the deployable groups for deployments.
The new mission was to act as the "friendly enemy" to evaluate both air and ground radar systems. This mission took pilots, electronic warfare officers, and maintenance personnel all over the United States, Canada, and as far as Iceland, South Korea, and Japan. The unit provided direct operational training of now-Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) aircrews in the accomplishment of their mission when their systems were severely degraded as might be expected during an attack by enemy offensive aircraft.
It moved to Walker Army Air Field, Kansas at the end of the month. At Walker, it received its initial cadre from elements of the 40th Bombardment Group and began to fly a mix of Martin B-26 Marauders and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Delays in producing the B-29, labor disputes at the engine manufacturer, and modifications to the planes to make them ready for combat resulted in belated deliveries to combat units and it was close to the end of 1943 before aircrews could train in the new bomber in any number.
The A-2 jacket was awarded to an Army Air Forces officer upon completion of basic flight training, and always before graduating to advanced training. No standard system of distribution was used, though generally airmen lined up in front of boxes containing jackets of various sizes and given the appropriate size jacket by the base quartermaster. A-2s were exclusive to commissioned officers until early in World War II, when also issued to enlisted aircrews. The A-2 was a treasured item to the airman and was worn with as much pride as his wings.
It was later learned that the three aircraft belonged to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Although USN Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary made plans to train aircrews in naval vessel recognition in response, USAAF General George Brett refused to implement them or acknowledge that the friendly fire incident had happened. With no new orders, Crace decided to relocate his ships during the night to a point from Port Moresby, to better intercept a Japanese invasion force if it came through either the Jomard Passage or the China Strait.
His citation read: In March 1944, VB-106 was transferred to Nadzab in the Southwest Pacific Area, where it came under the command of the Fifth Air Force. It thus served in three different theaters in the Pacific. Hayward was awarded a third Distinguished Flying Cross: He was also awarded the Legion of Merit with the valor device: Somewhat depleted in both aircraft and aircrews, VB-106 handed over its three PB4Ys with the least hours on the clock to its relief, VB-115, on 27 May 1944, and returned to the United States.
In an attempt to preserve the combat experience of HC-7 aircrews and personnel, the U.S. Navy Reserve established the HC-9 PROTECTORS on August 1, 1975 as part of HELWINGRES. HC-9 continued to fly the HH-3A Sea King, providing combat search and rescue training, as well as operational support when called upon, to carrier strike groups. HC-9 was disestablished in 1988 as HELWINGRES combined combat search and rescue and special operations support into two remaining reserve squadrons, Helicopter Combat Support Squadrons (Special) FOUR and FIVE (HCS-4 and HCS-5).
The two aircraft were seized after they ran out of fuel and had to make emergency landings on 10 April. Manned by Norwegian aircrews, they served against their former owners for the duration of the campaign. Seven Norwegian He-115s, five of them He-115Ns, were employed against German and German-controlled ships (see: HNoMS Uller), as well as providing ground support to the Norwegian Army offensive on the Narvik Front. On 14 April 1940, three Norwegian He 115s made a successful attack on German Ju 52s at Gullesfjordbotn.
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, the majority of graves are Bomber Command aircrews Lancaster which returned with battle damage. Aircrew had to become accustomed very quickly to the casualty rate suffered by RAF Bomber Command squadrons because fellow crews were lost or in aircrew language, "bought the farm", "got the chop" or "failed to return" (FTR), frequently.Charlwood (1986), p.48–49 Squadrons would normally be given the task of dispatching 12–25 aircraft on a night operation, and at least one of their crews would be expected to be lost every two night operations.
Ranger was used to train aircrews and transport aircraft for the remainder of the war, and did not see combat again. The German forces in Norway were taken by surprise during Operation Leader. The area had not been raided by carrier-borne aircraft for two years, leading to inadequate preparations for such an attack. Precautions against further raids were put in place, and the British carrier forces which repeatedly attacked Norway until the end of the war did not encounter any concentrations of shipping like that located by Rangers airmen off Bodø.
The AC-130 is considered to have hastened the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s. Crews flew undercover missions from Honduras and attacked guerrilla camps and concentrations. AC-130s also had a primary role during the United States invasion of Panama (named Operation Just Cause) in 1989, when they destroyed Panama Defense Force headquarters and numerous command-and-control facilities, and provided close air support for US ground troops. Aircrews earned the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year, and the Tunner Award.
The primary mission of the 36th Rescue Squadron is to support the USAF Survival School through helicopter operations, to support the National Search and Rescue Plan by providing assistance to local authorities, and to provide the Department of Defense with qualified crewmembers. The 36th also conducts search and rescue and aeromedical evacuation missions in a four-state region, from the Cascades in Washington to the Rockies in western Montana. The unit has the only hoist-equipped aircraft and Night Vision Goggle-qualified aircrews in the Inland Northwest. It conducts missions at all times of day.
This was recognized when French General Passage, Chief of Staff of the 32d French Corps, awarded the "Croix de guerre" to several aircrews for exceptional bravery in combat. At the beginning of June, the 1st Aero Squadron was re-equipped with the latest in French observation aircraft, the Salmson 2A2. Also in June, the 1st Aero Squadron adopted the American flag as its squadron emblem, it being the first Air Service squadron on the front lines. The insignia was painted on the fuselage of all of its aircraft.
The Japanese Navy attempted to locate and pursue the American task force. The Second Fleet, its main striking force, was near Formosa, returning from the Indian Ocean Raid to refit and replace its air losses. Spearheaded by five aircraft carriers and its best naval aircraft and aircrews, the Second Fleet was immediately ordered to locate and destroy the U.S. carrier force, but failed to do so. Nagumo and his staff on Akagi heard that an American force was near Japan but expected an attack on the next day.
During this period, the wing received a short notice requirement to deploy 18 F-4Ds from the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron in early April 1972 in support of Operation Linebacker. The air campaign was designed to stop the North Vietnamese 1972 Easter Offensive, launched on 30 March to conquer South Vietnam. The squadron deployed with a full complement of aircrews and maintenance personnel. During its stay in South Vietnam, nine members of the squadron received credit for destroying six North Vietnamese fighters, four MiG-21s and two MiG-19s.
It was upgraded to the B-52D in 1968 by SAC along with receiving some older B-52Cs, which had limited use for training new aircrews. For several months in both 1968 and 1969, all of the 70th BW aircraft, most of the aircrew and maintenance personnel and some of its support people were loaned to other SAC units engaged in combat operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia. It was one of 11 SAC bomb wings that rotated such combat duty under the program known as Arc Light.
Replacement Training Units were also oversized units, but they trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters. In February 1944, the 327th moved to Marysville Army Air Field, where it continued as a P-39 RTU. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, while the groups and squadrons acting as RTUs were disbanded or inactivated.
In 1969, supplied aircraft for Operation Giant Lance over Alaska, a secret mission designed to intimidate the Soviet Union into backing away from supporting the North Vietnamese. From March–September 1968, March–September 1969, and June 1972-October 1973, all wing Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses and many Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, plus aircrews and support personnel, were involved in Southeast Asia operations. After 1975, performed joint USAF/US Navy sea reconnaissance and surveillance missions. In 1983, the Wing's B-52Gs were modified to carry AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM).
The Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) was a military flying school based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, England. The school, established in 1997, was a tri-service organisation and trained helicopter aircrews for all three British armed forces. It initially used the Eurocopter Squirrel HT1 and Bell Griffin HT1 helicopters, which were retained despite the introduction of the Airbus Juno HT1 and Airbus Jupiter HT1. The school was re-badged as No. 1 Flying Training School during February 2020 and continues to provide helicopter training the British armed forces.
Soon he had a contact — a Dornier Do 217; he closed in but his cannons jammed. After he had sat behind the Dornier for some time and trying in vain to encourage the guns to fire, the German crew suddenly became aware of his presence and dived away. Cunningham was furious, three-quarters of the squadron got airborne but only he had seen an enemy. Unsatisfied with ground- and aircrews, he used his influence in the small night-fighter community to bring in personnel from his old unit, 604, which was languishing in Cornwall.
On 21 March 1986 a unit aircraft departed Fargo, North Dakota, with 40 civilian VIP's on board for Tempelhof Central Airport in West Berlin. This was the first Air National Guard flight transporting civilians outside the Continental United States, and was also the first KC-135 authorized to fly into West Berlin through the Berlin Corridors. During Operation Desert Shield, the squadron was partially activated on 20 December 1990. All aircraft, aircrews and a number of support personnel were dispatched to Cairo West Air Base, Egypt between 27 and 29 December 1990.
The record of the Luftwaffe against naval combat vessels up to that point in the war was poor. In the Norwegian Campaign, despite eight weeks of continuous air supremacy, the Luftwaffe sank only two British warships. The German aircrews were not trained or equipped to attack fast-moving naval targets, particularly agile naval destroyers or Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB). The Luftwaffe also lacked armour-piercing bombs and their only aerial torpedo capability, essential for defeating larger warships, consisted of a small number of slow and vulnerable Heinkel He 115 floatplanes.
The 160th was called to active duty on 20 December 1990. Deployment began on 28 December and the 160th became part of three Provisional Air Refueling Wings at Al Banteen Air Base, Abu Dhabi (1712th ARS (P)), Al Dhafra Air Base, Dubai (1705th ARS (P)), and Jeddah. Additional personnel augmented a regional support base at Moron AB, Spain while others deployed to various bases to "backfill" for deployed active duty personnel. Aircraft and volunteer aircrews were heavily involved in "Air Bridge" refueling missions supporting deployment of combat forces to Southwest Asia.
With its training as a unit completed, the members of 426th NFS packed their bags and left California's sunny San Joaquin Valley in mid-June 1944.Northrop P-61 Black Widow—The Complete History and Combat Record, Garry R. Pape, John M. Campbell and Donna Campbell, Motorbooks International, 1991. Aircrews of the 426th Night Fighter Squadron at their first operational base at Chengtu, China, 1944. From Chengtu, their mission was to protect B-29 Superfortresses using Chinese Air Bases as staging bases from India on Operation Matterhorn Missions to Japan.
US aircrews claimed more than 500 German fighters destroyed, though the numbers were massively exaggerated. The Luftwaffe losses were high amongst their twin-engined Zerstörer units, and the Bf 110 and Me 410 groups were severely depleted. More worrying for the Jagdwaffe (fighter force) than the loss of 355 aircraft was the loss of nearly 100 pilots (14 percent) who had been killed. In contrast to the raids of the previous year, the US losses were replaceable, while the Germans were already hard pressed due to the war in the East.
On 7 August 1990, the wing began to deploy aircraft, personnel and equipment to Diego Garcia for Operation Desert Shield. Wing B-52 aircrews flew 485 combat missions and dropped over 6,000 tons of bombs on the enemy during Desert Storm. Tankers from the 42nd also deployed to Diego Garcia. By March 911, the wing began returning personnel and equipment to Loring and all had returned by 12 April 1991. On 1 October 1990, the 407th Air Refueling Squadron was inactivated and seven of its aircraft transferred to Griffiss Air Force Base.
The 361 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group supports Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and provides analytical and targeting support to the rest of the Air Force. The group provides threat warning and enhances situational awareness to AFSOC aircrews across the spectrum of operations from conflict through humanitarian relief. The group and subordinate units conduct cultural and network studies to enhance tactics and ensure interoperability within the special operations community and conduct research and development of communications sites. The group's airmen act as aircrew on almost every aircraft type within AFSOC.
The 513th Air Control Group is an Air Reserve Component unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and is stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The group's mission is to provide theater and Air Force commanders with trained aircrews and maintenance personnel and systems for airborne surveillance, warning and control of U.S. and allied military aircraft. The 513th is an associate unit of the 552d Air Control Wing, Air Combat Command (ACC) and if mobilized, the group is gained by ACC.
Variable density goggles were used by U.S. aerial gunners and anti-aircraft gunnerss in World War II. They were equipped with a turning dial on the front allowing the pilot to alter the tint of the lens enabling them to see tracer rounds and not be easily blinded. They failed to gain popularity in the military, however, and were phased out soon after the Second World War. They were more accepted by AAA gunners than aircrew, as it was one more piece of equipment that the aircrews would have to carry onto an airplane.
The squadron's primary focus is support to the Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program (SFARP), which trains operational fleet F/A-18 squadrons. SFARP is an intense three week training exercise, conducted by the Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic, that allows fleet Strike Fighter aircrews to hone their war fighting skills against a creditable adversary prior to deploying. In addition to the SFARP program, VFC-12 supports the F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadrons at NAS Oceana and with detachments to NAS Key West. VFC-12 often averages more than 200 days a year on detachments.
During World War II, Kansas was a major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gunnery, bombing, and training ranges. The training that was given to the airmen stationed at these airfields gave them the skills and knowledge that enabled them to enter combat in all theaters of warfare, and enabled the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
In that capacity the ship operated in the South China Sea and in the Gulf of Tonkin providing naval gunfire support for the troops ashore and supporting carrier air operations by conducting search and rescue missions for downed aircrews. She punctuated tours of duty in the combat zone with port visits to Yokosuka, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippine ports of Manila, Davao City, and Subic Bay. Her six- month deployment ended on 28 May 1966, when Topeka reentered Long Beach. Five months of normal west coast operations followed.
Ehrler was exonerated by further investigations which concluded poor communication between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe had caused the fiasco; the aircrews had not been informed that Tirpitz had been moved off Håkøya two weeks before the attack. The wreck of Tirpitz remained in place until after the war, when a joint German-Norwegian company began salvage operations. Work lasted from 1948 until 1957; fragments of the ship were sold by a Norwegian company. Ludovic Kennedy wrote in his history of the vessel that she "lived an invalid's life and died a cripple's death".
Darrell's Island, Bermuda, during WWII. The RAF underwent rapid expansion following the outbreak of war against Germany in 1939. This included the training of British aircrews in British Commonwealth countries under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, and the secondment of many whole squadrons, and tens of thousands of individual personnel, from Commonwealth air forces. For example, by the end of the war, Royal Canadian Air Force personnel had contributed more than 30 squadrons to service with RAF formations; almost a quarter of Bomber Command's personnel were Canadian.
Furthermore, as the war progressed, personnel from other Dominion air forces were transferred to SAAF units and vice versa, in North Africa, the Mediterranean and Italy. Southern Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe) was not technically a Dominion and was therefore not a signatory to the BCATP, although aircrews from other dominions were trained there. In 1940, the small Southern Rhodesia Air Force was designated No. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF. Two other RAF squadrons, No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF and No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF were also formed; both had significant numbers of Rhodesian personnel.
848 NAS was the Commando Sea King HC4 training unit for the CHF, and trained not only the aircrews but also the ground crews. In addition to the skills necessary to fly their missions, Commando Helicopter Force members are trained in small-arms use as well as tactics and survival fieldcraft. Being a naval unit that was directly tasked with supporting the Royal Marines, trainees are also schooled in shipboard and amphibious assault operations. A special unit within 848 Squadron, M Flight, was tasked with supporting the Special Boat Service (SBS) in their operations.
The division was reactivated in 1980 when it absorbed the mission, personnel and equipment of Tactical Training, George and was assigned the 35th and 37th Tactical Fighter Wings.The 35th Wing was split four months after the division activated, with Wild Weasel operations being transferred to the newly-activated 37th Wing. In addition to maintaining a capability to deploy worldwide, it trained fighter and Wild Weasel aircrews. Wild Weasel aircraft were used to destroy enemy- controlled surface-to-air missiles The Wild Weasel aircraft were initially specially modified F-105s.
Squadron aircrews landed in dangerously heavy seas, often under direct enemy shore fire, to pick up flyers in distress. The squadron also established a station at Labo, Camarines Norte, Mindanao behind enemy lines, from which it furnished gasoline, arms and ammunition, food and medical supplies to Philippine guerrilla forces. The squadron's ground echelon kept the unit's aircraft in operational condition, despite frequent damage from enemy action and water landings and take-offs. During this period the squadron performed seven open sea rescues, saving 23 lives, while also evacuating 53 men from enemy territory.
In early 1999, the Alamo Wing responded to another area of the world that threatened the peace and security, again in the Balkans. Wing C-5s and aircrews airlifted essential cargo and passengers to support the NATO-led Operation Allied Force to halt Serbia’s policy of ethnic cleansing in neighboring Kosovo. After the peace accord with Serbia, the wing assisted in NATO’s efforts to resettle ethnic Albanians into a secure environment. The final C-5A Galaxy aircraft (tail number 70-0448) departed Kelly Field on 28 September 2016.
The 864th Bombardment Squadron was first activated at Wendover Field, Utah on 1 December 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the 494th Bombardment Group, the last heavy bomber group formed by the Army Air Forces.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 363–364 It trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators at Wendover and at Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho. In January and February 1944, a cadre of the squadron trained under simulated combat conditions at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida with the Army Air Forces Tactical Center, with aircrews filling out the squadron in March.
Operating from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, as the first F-4 wing to augment elements of Pacific Air Forces, aircrews of the Fourth flew more than 8,000 combat missions, many into the very heart of North Vietnam. The wing ended deployments to Thailand in the summer of 1974. The Summer of '72: The 335th TFS was deployed to Ubon Royal Thai AFB to augment the 8th TFW in the continuation of Operation Bolo. At first, we were tapped to drop chaff for the BUFF that flew Arc-Light.
Allied aircrews were given opportunities to fly in MAC aircraft and in at least one case MAC adopted British procedures, using copilots to assists the navigators during low level missions. By this time the C-7 and C-123 airframes were being phased out of the inventory, so they did not compete in the 1982 Rodeo at Pope Air Force Base from 13 – 18 June. The 1982 Rodeo was also the first that saw an allied nation win the overall competition as Italy’s 46th Air Brigade won the Best Wing Award.
In 2011, the 921st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron was deployed in support of Operation Unified Protector, serving at Moron Air Base, Spain, until November 2011. The squadron was NATO's largest tanker squadron composed of active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command KC-135 and KC-10 aircrews. The squadron executed over 1,000 combat missions to enforce the United Nations No Fly Zone over Libya. The AMC wing at Moron was the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing and it appears that the 921 EARS served under this wing.
390 After arriving in Florida, the squadron resumed training for deployment overseas, but was soon assigned the mission of acting as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). The RTU was an oversized unit organized to provide final training for individual pilots or aircrews. Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi Initially the squadron flew a mix of the A-36 Apache and early model P-51 versions of the Mustang fighter, but by the end of the year had become a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt training unit at Galveston Army Air Field, Texas.
The 17th Operational Weather Squadron is responsible for producing and disseminating mission planning and execution weather analyses, forecasts, and briefings for Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Guard, Reserve, USFK, PACOM, PACAF, USARPAC, SOCPAC, and NAVPAC forces operating at 115 installations/sites over 110M sq.mi. within the Pacific theater of operations. This weather squadron is responsible for base or post forecasting, developing weather products, briefing transient aircrews, and weather warnings for all of their geographical units. The current commander of the 17th Operational Weather Squadron is Lt Col Charles Cunningham.
Long Knife Squadron was paired with the 49th Aviation Brigade of the Texas National Guard to form the Joint Aviation Brigade for the SFOR 7 rotation. Long Knife aviators supported reconnaissance, security, and air movement missions with both American and international units flying missions not only for MND-N, but also for Multi- National Divisions Southwest and Southeast. The aircrews of 4th Squadron flew almost 5,000 sorties for over 2,000 missions, logging more than 12,000 hours. Members of TFR were tasked to perform the Wild Land Fire Fighting mission, by preparing to deploy to any fires east of the Mississippi River.
It provided Air Defense Weapons Center operational and technical advice on air defense and tactics from, 1981–1983. It also provided test and evaluation new air defense equipment, including use of the PQM-102 and QF-100, former operational aircraft modified to function as unmanned drones. In October 1983, the wing assumed a new mission of conducting qualification training of tactical aircrews. Beginning in 1983 it deployed T-33 and later, F-15 aircraft to USAF, Air National Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy air units to provide electronic countermeasures and dissimilar air combat training and to increase aircrew combat proficiency.
Scharff's interrogation techniques were so effective that he was occasionally called upon to assist other German interrogators in their questioning of bomber pilots and aircrews, including those crews and fighter pilots from countries other than the United States. Additionally, he was charged with questioning many more important prisoners who were funnelled through the interrogation center, such as senior officers and famous fighter aces. In 1948, Scharff was invited by the United States Air Force to give lectures on his interrogation techniques and first- hand experiences. The U.S. military later incorporated his methods into its curriculum at its interrogation schools.
B-24 Liberators of the 458th Bombardment Group over the North SeaThe fighter escorts are P-51 Mustangs of the 352d Fighter Group. The group arrived at its combat station, RAF Horsham St. Faith on 1 February 1944, although aircrews had begun arriving on 24 January and the last bombers of the 458th did not arrive until 16 February. It entered the strategic bombing campaign against Germany during Big Week, but its first missions, flown on 24 and 25 February 1944, were diversionary missions, not strikes against the German aircraft manufacturing industry. On 2 March it began flying strategic bombardment missions.
The aircraft scored thirty- three hits on the Austro-Hungarian naval air station in the harbor and significantly degraded its ability to conduct operations for several months. Over the course of the war, the ship's aircrews flew a total of 1,884 missions, of which 1,500 were reconnaissance flights and more than 200 were combat sorties, during which they dropped some 2,000 bombs. Toward the end of the war, her aircraft were sent ashore and Europa operated primarily as a submarine tender. After Austria-Hungary surrendered in November 1918, Europa took part in the occupation of Sebenico and other ports in Dalmatia.
Along with the 214th, the 144th AS performed humanitarian airlift missions for famine relief in Somalia and Rwanda, supported Operation Southern Watch in Saudi Arabia, achieved an Excellent rating in its first Operational Readiness Inspection from PACAF. Aircrews of the 144th, have flown to the far reaches of the globe, performing missions in Panama, Thailand, Japan, Australia and Germany. The unit also participated in Operation Full Accounting, an effort to bring back remains of Americans from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Recently, the 144th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron was formed and deployed members in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
With the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command in 1979, the Center reorganized on 1 July 1981, relieving the Commander of the day-to-day management of operations, aircraft maintenance, and test efforts. This reorganization did not change the mission of the Weapons Center, though it did change how it operated. A new organization was activated, the 325th Fighter Weapons Wing (FWW). The 325th FWW, through its subordinate units, conducted an extensive training program for air defense aircrews and weapons controllers; the USAF Interceptor Weapons School (IWS) trained instructors in all phases of interceptor weapons systems and employment.
Originally formed as 1359 Flight RAF, it was attached to a Hercules OCU (Operational Conversion Unit), based at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire in 1994 for a 3-year trial period. After the success of the trial, its role expanded over the years to provide aircrews to all air transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft of the RAF. It moved to RAF Brize Norton in 2011. On 1 October 2012, in recognition of its continued work with the main squadrons, the flight was authorised by the Standing Committee of the Royal Air Force to be rebadged as 622 (Reserve Aircrew) Squadron.
In April 1965, when a political crisis in the Dominican Republic boiled over into active revolution, President Lyndon B. Johnson dispatched United States Marines and Army soldiers to the island to protect American citizens. To support this force, as well as provide emergency relief supplies to the islanders, the United States conducted an emergency airlift into the island. Participating voluntarily between 30 April and 5 July, Air Force Reserve aircrews flew approximately 1,850 missions and 16,900 hours in Operation POWER PACK, as the emergency airlift was called. About 185 of the missions were flown into the island itself.
482d Bombardment Group crew at RAF Alconbury in 1944 The 482d Bombardment Group was formed at RAF Alconbury on 20 August 1943, with the 812th, 813th and 814th Bombardment Squadrons assigned. The 812th and 813th Squadrons flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, while the 814th was equipped with Consolidated B-24 Liberators.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 763-764Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 764-765Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 765 Its aircrews were specially selected from all VIII Bomber Command groups, particularly men who had been involved with the 329th Bombardment Squadron's test operations and the other units of the 92d Bombardment Group.
Likewise, the AN/ALR-36 radar warning receivers that Israeli Phantoms were equipped with at the time proved unable to provide any warning to aircrews that their aircraft were being tracked by SA-6 battery crews using the Straight Flush radar. Some aerial maneuvers were believed to fool the SA-6 systems and these were used while the IDF waited for better ECM weapons. Some of the maneuvers were quite effective, but the SA-6 threat was only reduced on 9 October 1973 when A-4s surprised many SA-6 batteries without their missiles ready to fire and destroyed them.
A NOAA WP-3D Orion weather reconnaissance aircraft Hurricane hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Hunters. Such missions have also been flown by Navy units and other Air Force and NOAA units. Manned flights into hurricanes began in 1943 when, on a bet, pilot-trainer Colonel Joseph Duckworth flew a single-engine plane into a category 1 storm near Galveston, Texas.
After completing their bombing runs, the Seirans were to return to a designated rendezvous point and ditch alongside the waiting submarines where the aircrews would be picked up.Sakaida, pp. 46–7. Around April 1945, Captain Ariizumi, the man appointed to carry out the attack, decided the Seiran pilots would make kamikaze ramming attacks against the gates, rather than conventional bombing runs, a tactic becoming increasingly common as the war went against the Japanese. The Seiran squadron leader had already suggested as much to Ariizumi earlier that month, though for a time this was kept secret from the other pilots.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in West Virginia for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However, the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established airfields in Wisconsin for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Vermont for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Virginia for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in New York for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Ohio for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current- day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Pennsylvania for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
A meta-analysis of studies conducted between 2001 and 2010 revealed a rate of 5 episodes/1,000 flight-years. Maxillary and mandibular dentitions were affected equally in flight, but in diving, maxillary dentition was affected more than the mandibular dentition, which can indicate a greater role for maxillary sinus pathology in diving barodontalgia. Surprisingly, despite cabin pressurization, the current in-flight barodontalgia incidence is similar to the incidence in the first half of the 20th century. Also, despite the greater fluctuation in divers' pressures, the weighted incidence of barodontalgia among aircrews is similar to the weighted incidence among divers.
1967 saw the beginning of Operation Creek Party. This operation provided air refueling support to United States Air Forces in Europe tactical aircraft through the rotation of ANG aircrews and aircraft flying from Rhein Main Air Base, Germany This operation, which continued until 1975, demonstrated the ability of the ANG to perform significant day-to-day missions without being mobilized. The 160th was one of the mission's charter units and when its Creek Party participation ended it had safely flown 426 transatlantic crossings. The unit received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period of 5 June 1967 to 10 May 1968.
The existence of SEASPRAY did not become publicly known until 1985. In April 1981 a SEASPRAY helicopter flew Lebanese Christian leader Bachir Gemayel from Cairo to Lebanon as the first stage of a trip to the United States. From 1982 until 1985 SEASPRAY fixed-wing aircraft conducted signals intelligence sorties over Honduras. In the early 1980s the Army rejected a proposal from the CIA that SEASPRAY aircraft be used to follow small aircraft which were potentially being used to smuggle weapons from Nicaragua to El Salvador, and the CIA conducted this operation using civilian aircrews instead.
In December 1989 and January 1990, ANG volunteers participated in Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama, to secure the arrest of Panamanian dictator and accused drug lord, General Manuel Noriega. Air National Guard aircrews already deployed TDY to Howard AFB, Panama also participated in Just Cause. Volunteer C-130 crews completed 181 sorties moving 3,107 passengers and 551.3 tons of cargo. In addition, Air National Guard A-7 Corsair II attack jets from the South Dakota Air National Guard's 114th Tactical Fighter Group and the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Tactical Fighter Group flew 34 combat missions in support of the invasion.
Additionally, instructors constantly reinforce the learning objectives during mission planning and in-flight. This, in conjunction with the simulated hostile environment scenario flying sorties, will generate the familiarization required to promote mission success and increase the individual crewmember's ability to survive actual hostile environment missions. The flying training consists of two primary phases, The Eastern Phase (Missouri) and the Western Phase (Arizona). The Eastern Phase consists of two low level tactical missions during which, the aircrews are scheduled to airdrop one actual Heavy Equipment (HE) load and one actual High Velocity Container Delivery System (Hi-V CDS) bundle.
Coral Sea started a trend which resulted in the irreparable attrition of Japan's veteran carrier aircrews by the end of October 1942.Willmott (1983), pp. 286–287 & 515; Millot, pp. 109–111 & 160; Cressman, pp. 118–119; Dull, p. 135; Stille, pp. 74–76; Peattie, pp. 174–175. The U.S. did not perform as expected, but it learned from its mistakes in the battle and made improvements to its carrier tactics and equipment, including fighter tactics, strike coordination, torpedo bombers and defensive strategies, such as anti-aircraft artillery, which contributed to better results in later battles.
Secretary of Defense Thomas S. Gates, Jr. approved the establishment of "E Flight", 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, which was activated in March, 1959 at Naha Air Base, Okinawa. Clandestine C-130A supply drop over Tibet E Flight C-130s were flown from their home base at Naha to Kadena for removal of USAF markings and manning by CAT personnel then to Takhli Airfield, Thailand for flying over the Himalayas to Tibet. To reduce their chance of Chinese detection, the CAT aircrews flew their C-130s to Northern Thailand through inadequately chartered mountainous terrain with no navaids except the navigator's celestial plotting skills.
The USAF squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mark McGeehan, reported the incident to Pellerin and recommended that Holland be removed from flying duty. Pellerin consulted with Holland and gave him an oral reprimand and warning not to repeat the behavior, but refused to take him off flying duty. Pellerin also did not document the incident or the reprimand, nor did he notify his superiors, who remained unaware of the incident. McGeehan then decided that in order to protect his aircrews, he (McGeehan) would be the co-pilot on any future missions in which Holland was the command pilot.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However, the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arkansas for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
Lewistown was the eastern terminus of the Montana Railroad which connected with Lombard, Montana, a distance of approximately . The railroad connected with the national railway network via a connection with the Northern Pacific Railway at Lombard. The Montana Railroad line was constructed between 1895 and 1903, and operated independently until 1908, when it was acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road"). During World War II, in 1942 the US Army Air Corps established a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress training base just west of Lewistown to train aircrews for missions in North Africa and Europe.
The Douglas Boston In the meantime the rest of the squadron, forming the ground echelon, had remained at Great Massingham, Norfolk and on 5 January 1942, it received Douglas Boston trainers and new aircrews, and began converting them onto this aircraft. The squadron began flying daylight operations again in March 1942. The most famous operation the squadron flew using the Boston was Operation Oyster, the daylight raid against the Philips works in Eindhoven. The squadron continued to fly the Boston until February 1944, when they converted to the Mosquito Mk.VIs and switched to night intruder operations.
C-123K Provider formerly of the 319th Special Operations Squadron The squadron was redesignated the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron, Commando, and organized at Hurlburt Field, Florida in April 1962. The squadron initially operated Curtiss C-46 Commandos, but also Douglas C-47 Skytrains, and Helio U-10 Courier, and North American T-28 Trojans until moving to England Air Force Base, Louisiana in 1966. The squadron frequently deployed crews and airplanes to Southeast Asia for civic action and counterinsurgency missions. At England, the squadron concentrated on training United States and foreign aircrews with the Fairchild C-123 Provider.
MATS was the first Joint-Service command and Naval aircrews participated in every major MATS airlift operation. MATS would organizationally be under the Department of the Air Force, as the vast majority of its equipment and personnel of ATC had been inherited by the Air Force with the inactivation of the USAAF. During the Berlin Airlift, Naval aviators flew transport aircraft from the United States to European supply depots; in the Korean War, MATS Navy Squadrons airlifted some 17,000 battle casualties. In its original organization, a Rear Admiral commanded the MATS Pacific Division and another rear admiral served as MATS vice-commander.
He pointed out to Churchill that an airlift of , most of it over enemy territory, could hold no hope of military success, and that the loss of airmen and aircraft would be tremendous. Churchill's reply was brief and to the point: And so Durrant and his volunteer aircrews, accepting all the known risks, made 196 trips to Warsaw, which included 11 hours over the Carparthian Mountains, and then flying at rooftop height to drop canisters packed with guns, ammunition and food. Of the 80 aircraft that participated, 31 were shot down, 17 of which over the weekend of 13–16 August.
In the battle, Lexington was sunk and Yorktown was damaged. The Japanese suffered Shōhō sunk, a fleet carrier heavily damaged, and heavy losses to their carrier aircraft and aircrews. Fearing more damaging attacks from Allied land-based aircraft or warships and unable because of their aircraft losses to provide adequate air cover for their naval surface forces, the Japanese turned back from their planned assault on Port Moresby with the intention of trying again later. The next Japanese seaborne attempt to take Port Moresby, however, never happened, mainly because of their navy's defeat in June at the Battle of Midway.
Flanked by Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, left, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush meets with members of the White House Task Force on Hurricane Katrina Recovery on August 31, 2005, in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The United States Coast Guard began pre- positioning resources in a ring around the expected impact zone and activated more than 400 reservists. On August 27, it moved its personnel out of the New Orleans region prior to the mandatory evacuation. Aircrews from the Aviation Training Center, in Mobile, staged rescue aircraft from Texas to Florida.
Both of the two man German aircrews of each helicopter were instructed to be friendly and under no circumstances to provoke the terrorists. They were also instructed to keep their white helmets on constantly. According to Gunnar Ebel the pilot of the second helicopter, he and Reinhard Praius, the pilot of Bechler's helicopter, were ordered to fly in a large circle to give enough time for the "Krisenstab" crisis committee, Hans Dietrich Genscher, Manfred Schreiber, Hans Jochen Vogel and Franz Josef Strauss, also travelling by helicopter, to arrive at Furstenfeldbruck ahead of the terrorists and their Israeli hostages.
On 18 February, the nineteen picked crews awoke to find RAF Hunsdon still covered with snow, under low cloud and blizzards but it was impossible to wait any longer. A more favourable weather forecast led to a decision to risk the operation and the 18 Mosquito bombers and the PR Mosquito "O-Orange" were prepared. The aircrews were woken at 06:00 to the sound of Merlin engines being tested; briefing was at 08:00 and each man was subjected to an identity check as he entered the briefing room. A large box on a table contained a model of the target.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (AAF) established numerous airfields in Oklahoma for training pilots and aircrews of AAF fighters and bombers or as major maintenance and supply centers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (a predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However other AAF commands, including Second Air Force, Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) commanded airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
SAC organized the 4007th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas on 2 June 1968 and assigned it to the 340th Bombardment Group on 2 July.Mueller, p. 70 The squadron was located just across the runway from the General Dynamics Fort Worth Plant and became the first USAF unit to fly and become operational with the General Dynamics FB-111A. Its primary mission was the training of all FB-111 aircrews for SAC, but it maintained a combat ready force as well. At the end of December 1971, the 4007th moved to Plattsburgh Air Force Base,Muller, pp.
The mission of the 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron covered a broad spectrum of responsibilities. As an Air Defense Command,(later Aerospace Defense Command) (ADC) unit, the 966th also supported Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command (TAC) operations, assisted U.S. Navy P-2 Neptune and P-3 Orion aircraft in anti-submarine and maritime surveillance patrols, and developed weather information. It also furnished airborne radar surveillance and technical control in support of global air defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff contingency operations. 966th aircrews also frequently deployed to distant operational locations including Southeast Asia.
These attacks were opposed by, and often aimed at, units and personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, British Royal Air Force and Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force. Japanese aircrews also targeted civil infrastructure, including harbours, civil airfields, railways and fuel tanks. Some civilians were also killed. Although the main defence was provided by RAAF and Allied fighters, a number of Australian Army anti-aircraft batteries in northern Australia were also involved in dealing with the threat of Japanese air raids.
The United States Air Force's 392d Training Squadron was an intercontinental ballistic missile training unit at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Its first predecessor was the 592d Bombardment Squadron, which trained aircrews on Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses during World War II. Its second predecessor was the 392d Missile Training Squadron, which conducted training, primarily for Royal Air Force launch crews, on the PGM-17 Thor missile at Vandenberg from 1958 to 1963. The two squadrons were consolidated in 1985 and activated again in 1993 to train missile crews at Vandenberg. The squadron was inactivated in 2010.
The squadron was redesignated the 29th Weapons Squadron and reactivated in June 2003 at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas as part of the USAF Mobility Weapons School and equipped with C-130 Hercules. The squadron was reassigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in 2006. In August 2014 the squadron established a detachment at Rosecrans Field, Missouri to conduct the Weapons Instructor Course for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve aircrews flying the C-130H. This allowed the elements at Little Rock the ability to focus primarily on the C-130J.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous air facilities in Louisiana for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. The larger facilities were Army Air Bases (AAB) while the Army Air Fields ( AAFld) were lesser facilities. The map below shows both types as AAB and AAF. Most of these air facilities were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command).
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Tennessee for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
In the book and 1949 film Twelve O'Clock High a Toby Jug depicting Robin Hood is used as a signal in the officer's club, to discreetly warn aircrews that there will be a mission the following day, without revealing this to outsiders who might be visiting. The Toby Jug plays a pivotal role in the film. In the 2017 film Baobhan Sith Toby Jugs are used as weapons against the Baobhan Sith, a mythical Scottish demon. A Toby Jug, and a specialist collector and her large collection, also figure prominently in the plot of the Bravo/Netflix series Imposters.
Following the return of the 22d Bombardment Group from Korea, the wing trained for proficiency in global strategic bombardment, and in 1952, the wing took delivery of Boeing KC-97 tankers, adding aerial refueling to its mission. The following year, the wing retired its B-29 fleet and replaced them with the jet-powered Boeing B-47 "Stratojet." In 1957, 22d Wing aircrews flew the longest non-stop mass flight in history: from England to California. General Archie Old, the Fifteenth Air Force commander, led a flight of three B-52 Stratofortresses in a flight around the world.
Not only concerned with maintaining a strong tactical posture for the defense of both Japan and South Korea, Fifth Air Force played a critical role in helping the establishment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force as well as the Republic of Korea Air Force. These and other peacetime efforts lasted a decade before war clouds once again developed in the Pacific. This time, the area of concern was Southeast Asia, beginning in 1964 with the Gulf of Tonkin Crisis. Fifth Air Force furnished aircraft, aircrews, Support personnel, and supplies throughout the eight years of combat operations in South Vietnam and Laos.
The 323d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Western Transport Air Force at Travis Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 8 May 1960. The wing was initially active as the Boston Air Defense Wing, an air defense organization during World War II. In 1944, when the perception of a possible air attack on the United States diminished, it was stripped of its personnel. After a short hiatus, it became the 323d Combat Crew Training Wing and trained heavy bomber aircrews until the end of the war.
The 30th Group moved forward to the Ellice Islands the following month, but the squadron remained in Hawaii until July 1944. During this period, the squadron acted as a replacement unit for the rest of the group, providing trained aircrews and replacement Liberators. The squadron moved forward to Saipan in the last week of July 1944, where the rest of the group joined it at Kobler Field in early August. From Saipan, it conducted raids on the Bonin and Volcano Islands and attacked bypassed islands in the Caroline and Mariana Islands until Iwo Jima was occupied.
Like OTUs, RTUs were oversize units, however their mission was to train individual pilots and aircrews. With this mission change, the 400th Group and its components were reassigned from Second Air Force to First Air Force. However, the Army Air Forces was finding that standard military units like the 400th, which were assigned personnel and equipment based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, which was manned and equipped based on the station's requirements.
Some air forces also possess special forces, who perform roles on land in support of air force operations. These include units and individual personnel who operate independently or, with other military units. The chief missions in such units are combat search and rescue, including rescuing downed aircrews in hostile territory; long-range reconnaissance, direct action and forward air control in support of air to ground operations, for example illuminating targets for attack by laser guided bombs. Other common roles include: military weather forecasting, pathfinding, domestic counter terrorism and hostage rescue missions; capturing airbases, establishing advanced airfields and conducting air traffic control.
With the inactivation of Strategic Air Command in June 1992 and the realignment of Air Mobility Command's tanker force, the 2d ARS was reassigned to the 458th Operations Group on 1 June 1992. Using KC-10 aircraft, the squadron airlifted humanitarian equipment and supplies to Somalia, 1992–1994. Deployed aircrews and aircraft on other contingency operations in many parts of the world, including Haiti in 1994. It continued operations from Barksdale until 1 October 1994 when it was moved to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey where it was transferred to the 305th Operations Group on 1 July 1995.
JPADS boudle for precision airdrop from one of their C-17s Reactivated in 2006 as a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism. Provides intratheater transport within Southwest Asia and other locations as directed in support of units engaged in combat operations. During a recent deployment of personnel. the aircrews flew about 3,000 sorties in the C-17 Globemaster III, logged more than 8,000 flying hours and airlifted more than 148 million pounds of cargo and more than 37,000 airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines and distinguished visitors throughout Southwest Asia.
It soon began air refueling support for all USAF operations, deployments and redeployments, as well as participating in NATO exercises. Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were assigned on a temporary duty basis to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on a rotational basis. Aircraft and crews operated out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Keflavik, Iceland; Zaragosa, Spain; Lajes Field, Azores; Sigonella NAS, Italy; and Hellenikon, Greece. In 1982, the wing and group were consolidated into a single unit, retaining the 11th Strategic Group designation.
The first predecessor of the 7th Squadron was the 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron which was activated on 28 January 1942, at MacDill Field, Florida and assigned directly to Third Air Force. After a brief period at Savannah, Georgia, where Eighth Air Force was building up for its move to the European Theater of Operations, the squadron moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it became part of the 2d Photographic Group. The squadron's primary mission was to train aircrews in photographic reconnaissance. The squadron was primarily equipped with the F-4 and F-5 reconnaissance versions of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
In October 1983, 23 AF helped rescue Americans from the island nation of Grenada. During the seven-day operation, centered at Point Salines Airport, 23 AF furnished MC-130s, AC-130s, aircrews, maintenance, and support personnel. An EC-130 from the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Air National Guard (ANG) also played a psy-war role. Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) James L. Hobson, Jr., an MC-130 pilot and commander of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, was later awarded the Mackay Trophy for his actions in leading the air drop on the Point Salines Airport.
The United Kingdom was considered an unsuitable location for air training, due to the possibility of enemy attack, the strain caused by wartime traffic at airfields and the unpredictable weather, so the plan called for the facilities in the Dominions to train British and each other's aircrews. Negotiations regarding joint training, between the four governments concerned, took place in Ottawa during the first few months of the war. On 17 December 1939, they signed the Air Training Agreement – often referred to as the "Riverdale Agreement", after the UK representative at the negotiations, Lord Riverdale.Smith 1941, p. 5.
Deployment began on 28 December and the 160th became part of three Provisional Air Refueling Wings at Al Banteen Air Base, Abu Dhabi (1712th ARS (P)), Al Dhafra Air Base, Dubai (1705th ARS (P)), and Jeddah. Additional personnel augmented a regional support base at Morón Air Base, Spain while others deployed to various bases to "backfill" for deployed active duty personnel. Aircraft and volunteer aircrews were heavily involved in "Air Bridge" refueling missions supporting deployment of combat forces to Southwest Asia. The 179th Airlift Group was active during Desert Shield/Storm providing airlift support throughout the Continental United States and Europe.
The RAF underwent rapid expansion following the outbreak of war against Germany in 1939. This was aided by the Ottawa Agreement (also known as the Riverdale Agreement, after its chair, Lord Riverdale) that same year, between the governments of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. As a result, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan the training and operational postings of half of all aircrews from the RAF, RCAF, RAAF and RNZAF were integrated: a total of 167,000 personnel were trained under the plan, mostly in Canada. There were parallel arrangements between the UK and South Africa.
In October 1994, Aerospace Daily reported that "reliable observers" had sighted an Su-27 Flanker on two occasions. The Su-27 is a Russian first-line advanced interceptor. It is in operation with both the Russia and People's Republic of China air forces. In 2014, it is believed that Air Combat Command (ACC) shares access to Mikoyan MiG-29s and Su-27 aircraft somewhere in Nevada (most likely Groom Lake) flying against Fighter Weapons School instructors, 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron aircrews and F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon "Aggressor" aircraft flying from Nellis AFB.
The wing was inactivated in 1960 and its remaining squadrons were assigned to other units. In 1966, the wing was reactivated at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho and trained for reconnaissance missions. It became Tactical Air Command's replacement training unit for the McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II. From 1968 to 1970, it acquired a fighter unit and also trained fighter aircrews on the F-4. In July 1971, Mountain Home became a fighter base and the wing moved without personnel or equipment to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, where it absorbed the assets of the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, which was inactivated.
The US Navy lacked suitable aircraft. Johnson set about convincing General Curtis LeMay of the efficacy of heavy bombers laying aerial mines. B-24 Liberators, PBY Catalinas and other bomber aircraft took part in localized mining operations in the Southwest Pacific and the China Burma India (CBI) theaters, beginning with a successful attack on the Yangon River in February 1943. Aerial minelaying operations involved a coalition of British, Australian and American aircrews, with the RAF and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) carrying out 60% of the sorties and the USAAF and US Navy covering 40%.
The 90th Missile Wing is a component of Twentieth Air Force, stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and equipped with LGM-30G Minuteman III Missiles. It has served at Warren as a component of Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command and Air Force Global Strike Command since 1963. The wing was first organized at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington as the 90th Bombardment Wing, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit. After moving to Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, it served as a training unit for Strategic Air Command units and aircrews in the B-29.
Signing the Penang surrender document on HMS Nelson as part of Operation Jurist On 15 August 1945, Emperor Hirohito gave a recorded radio address to the Empire announcing acceptance the terms for ending the war that the Allies had set down in the Potsdam Declaration. British B-24 and Mosquito bombers then undertook reconnaissance and leaflet drops over Malayan cities after the surrender announcement. One Mosquito bomber developed engine problems and was forced to land at the Japanese held Sungai Besi aerodrome near Kuala Lumpur. The Japanese provided assistance to the aircrews until they were picked up by another Mosquito.
The first Stratotanker, which arrived on 16 October, was dubbed the "Aroostook Queen." In July 1958, wing aircrews were placed on alert because of the 1958 Lebanon crisis. Although tensions subsided and the wing returned to its previous alert status, it upgraded its capabilities as B-52Gs replaced the wing's older B-52nds, bringing with then increased range and payload capabilities, in May 1959. Shortly after this upgrade, the wing moved its bombers to another B-52G base, Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico from July through October 1959 while major repairs were made to Loring's runway.
Colonel Charles Barbin DeBellevue (born August 15, 1945) is a retired officer in the United States Air Force. In 1972, DeBellevue became one of only five Americans to achieve flying ace status during the Vietnam War, and the first as an Air Force weapon systems officer, an integral part of two-man aircrews with the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons during aerial combat. He was credited with a total of six MiG kills, the most earned by any U.S. aviator during the Vietnam War, and is a recipient of the Air Force Cross.
An advantage that the "Triple Nickel Squadron" pilots and WSOs had over other U.S. aircrews was that eight of their F-4D Phantoms had the top-secret APX-80 electronic set installed, known by its code-name "Combat Tree". Combat Tree could read the IFF signals of the transponders built into the MiGs so that North Vietnamese GCI radar could discriminate its aircraft from that of the Americans. Displayed on a scope in the WSO's cockpit, Combat Tree gave the Phantoms the ability to identify and locate MiGs when they were still beyond visual range (BVR).
The squadron participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany before returning to the United States in 1945, where it was inactivated. The 902d Air Refueling Squadron served with Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Clinton-Sherman starting in 1958. It maintained an alert status to refuel SAC bombers and deployed aircraft and aircrews to support Operation Chrome Dome and to Southeast Asia to support Operation Arc Light and participated in the Young Tiger Task Force supporting tactical aircraft in Southeast Asia until it was inactivated. In 1985 the 602d Bombardment Squadron and the 902d Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated into a single unit.
The 902d deployed personnel and aircraft to the Young Tiger Task Force in the western Pacific to support combat operations of deployed SAC units and tactical aircraft over Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, between 1966 and 1969. For several months in 1968 and in 1969, most of its aircrews, plus maintenance and support personnel from its parent wing, were deployed to the Pacific. The squadron inactivated with its parent 70th Bombardment Wing in 1969, as Clinton-Sherman prepared to close. In September 1985, the 602d Bombardment Squadron and the 902d Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated into a single unit in inactive status.
The division's commander, Major-General Frederick Browning, was particularly enthusiastic, as a successful operation would be an excellent morale boost to the airborne troops under his command, as well as a good demonstration of their value.Otway, p. 66. Troops of the covering force and alt=Men running down a cliff towards a waiting boat on the shore line The two commanders believed that training by both airborne troops and aircrews could be completed by the end of February when there would be suitable meteorological conditions for such an operation to take place. Training for the raid was begun immediately but encountered several problems.
The design of the original Model XA-8 single-seat lightweight helicopter began in 1951 under the sponsorship of the US Army Transportation Corps and the USAF. The Army's specification in 1950 called for a lightweight, one-man unarmed helicopter that was collapsible, capable of aerial delivery to troops in rugged terrain, and assembled quickly with simple tools. The helicopter was to be used for both light observation and as an air- droppable rescue vehicle for downed aircrews. After a review of all proposals American Helicopter was awarded the development contract in June 1951, based on its XA-8 design proposal.
VQ-1's aircrews supported countless air strikes and are credited with assisting in the destruction of numerous MiG aircraft and Komar patrol boats. 15 April 1969, an EC-121M Warning Star of VQ-1 on a reconnaissance mission was shot down by North Korean MiG-21 aircraft over the Sea of Japan. All 31 Americans (30 sailors and 1 marine) on board were killed, which constitutes the largest single loss of U.S. aircrew during the Cold War era. The first EP-3 Aries I joined the squadron in 1969, beginning the replacement program for the Super Constellations.
In 1971, VQ-1 moved its homeport to NAS Agana, Guam, while retaining a permanent detachment at Atsugi, Japan. At that time it absorbed Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 (VAP-61) and its former parent unit, VW-1. At the end of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam in 1973 VQ-1 began a move back to providing open ocean tactical electronic support to Seventh Fleet carrier battle groups. In April 1975, two VQ-1 EP-3B aircraft and three aircrews were tasked and deployed to NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, in support of the pending evacuation of Vietnam as part of CTF 72.
The wingspan Vickers Wellington bomber was designed by Rex Pierson and made by the Vickers- Armstrongs company. It was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. A total of 11,461 were built during the war, more than any other British aircraft except the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, which were smaller, single-engine aircraft. With its geodetic aluminium skeleton airframe construction covered by a varnished linen fabric skin it was said to be held in great regard by aircrews and pilots for its durability and resistance to damage, able to survive long enough to return home, even if one engine failed.
The film covered the design of the bomber by Barnes Wallis and the background behind its urgent operational need and thus necessity of easy and quick manufacture. Brooklands Museum's Wellington N2980 is covered in detail. The film discussed the Wellington in service, the daily lives and roles of the bomber crews, with Hastings telling how pilots named the bomber "The Wimpy" after the contemporary cartoon character J. Wellington Wimpy. It had a resilience to flak and could ride out trouble, albeit Hastings said that aircrews were still more likely to die than survive a 30-mission tour.
Zeolites have the potential of providing precise and specific separation of gases, including the removal of H2O, CO2 and SO2 from low-grade natural gas streams. Other separations include noble gases, N2, O2, freon and formaldehyde. Zeolites were discovered to assist silver to naturally emit light, which potentially may compete with fluorescent lights or LEDs. On-board oxygen generating systems (OBOGS) and oxygen concentrators use zeolites in conjunction with pressure swing adsorption to remove nitrogen from compressed air in order to supply oxygen for aircrews at high altitudes, as well as home and portable oxygen supplies.
Instead, the Luftwaffe, with varying degrees of success, carried out the strategic bombardment of British industrial cities. The lack of RAF night defences in this stage of the war enabled the German bombers to inflict extensive damage without suffering the heavy losses of the daylight campaign. It is estimated that the Luftwaffe lost around 500 aircrews during the Blitz in comparison to the Battle of Britain in which it lost around 2,800 killed, 340 wounded, 750 captured. Overall losses were cut by one-third of daylight operations. Still, perennial problems with spares meant serviceability rates remained at about 50%.
38 Special cartridge. The Victory Model was a standard-issue sidearm for United States Navy and Marine Corps aircrews, and was also used by security guards at factories and defense installations throughout the United States during the war. Some of these revolvers remained in service well into the 1990s with units of the United States Armed Forces, including the United States Air Force and the Coast Guard. Until the introduction of the Beretta M9 9mm pistol in 1990, U.S. Army helicopter crew members and female military police officers were equipped with .38 caliber Victory Model revolvers.
During the Pueblo Crisis of 1968, the division gained control of a federalized Air National Guard reconnaissance wing for eighteen months. The division inactivated in 1971 and its two wings were transferred directly to Twelfth Air Force. The division was activated again at George in 1980, replacing Tactical Training, George, which had been the headquarters for George's training operations. A few months after the division's activation, F-4 training operations were split, with one wing using F-4Es to train United States and foreign fighter aircrews and the other flying F-4Gs to train Wild Weasel crews.
In November 1943 the squadron moved to Avon Park Army Air Field, Florida and became part of III Bomber Command, as Second Air Force concentrated on training Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit,Goss, p. 75 while the groups and squadrons like the 399th acting as RTUs were disbanded or inactivated in the spring of 1944.
The I Bomber Command (later XX Bomber Command) was an intermediate command of the Army Air Forces during World War II. It trained bombardment units and aircrews for deployment to combat theaters. From shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor until its assets were transferred to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in October 1942, it conducted antisubmarine warfare off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The command was activated again for a brief period in 1943, again as a bomber training command, located in the southwestern United States. It was disbanded in October 1943.
In September 1977, VP-26 was deployed to several locations throughout the North Atlantic. Primarily based at NAS Bermuda and Lajes Field, the squadron had detachments in the Panama Canal Zone, RAF Ascension Island, NAS Guantanamo Bay, NAS Keflavik and NS San Juan. Coordinated operations highlighted this deployment, as aircrews participated in a number of ASW exercises with NATO and Allied Naval Forces. Returning to NAS Brunswick in early 1978, VP-26 received the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Silver and Golden Anchor Awards for retention excellence, and the CNO Aviation Safety Award for operations in 1976 and 1977.
While conducting operations in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, aircrews visited France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Senegal, Iceland, Bermuda, Italy, and Gibraltar. At home in 1987, the squadron maintained detachments to NAS Jacksonville, NAS Bermuda, Iceland, Lajes Field, RAF Ascension Island, NS Puerto Rico and Thule Air Base; it had a 100-percent sortie-completion rate during its detachments. In November 1987 VP-26 deployed to NAS Keflavik, and its crews had a good ASW mission record against Soviet submarines. The deployment was capped by another Golden Wrench Award and a second Battle "E" for 1988.
Wild Weasels were very effective; unlike North Vietnamese, Iraqi SAM operators did not turn radar off until just before launch. Antiaircraft defenses, including shoulder-launched ground-to-air missiles, were surprisingly ineffective against coalition aircraft and the coalition suffered only 75 aircraft losses in over 100,000 sorties, though only 42 of these were the result of Iraqi action. The other 33 were lost to accidents. In particular, RAF and US Navy aircraft which flew at low altitudes to avoid radar were particularly vulnerable, though this changed when the aircrews were ordered to fly above the AAA.
From October 1991, conducted combat crew training for F-15E aircrews and F-16 pilots; F-16C/D squadrons had a secondary, wartime mission of augmenting national air defenses. Early in 1993, added a mission of training international (Republic of Singapore) pilots in F-16 A/B aircraft, the first one arriving in March 1993. The next month, the group lost its wartime mission. In April 1994, gave up fighter pilot training function and moved without personnel or equipment from Luke to Kirtland AFB, NM, taking over the resources of the 542d Crew Training Wing, which was being inactivated.
The squadron was first activated as the 865th Bombardment Squadron at Wendover Field, Utah on 1 December 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the 494th Bombardment Group, the last heavy bomber group formed by the Army Air Forces.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 363-364 It trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators at Wendover and at Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho. In January and February 1944, a cadre of the squadron trained under simulated combat conditions at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida with the Army Air Forces Tactical Center, with aircrews filling out the squadron in March.
The squadron was first activated as the 866th Bombardment Squadron at Wendover Field, Utah on 1 December 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the 494th Bombardment Group, the last heavy bomber group formed by the Army Air Forces.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 363–364 It trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators at Wendover and at Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho. In January and February 1944, a cadre of the squadron trained under simulated combat conditions at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida with the Army Air Forces Tactical Center, with aircrews filling out the squadron in March.
B-24 Liberators of the 867th Bombardment Squadron The squadron remained at Barking Sands Army Air Field for additional training and modifications to its planes to meet theater standards until late September 1944, when it deployed to Angaur Airstrip in the Palau Islands. The squadron ground echelon was initially involved with the construction of the base on Angaur. Although some unit aircrews flew combat missions with the 30th Bombardment Group from Saipan, the air echelon only began to arrive on Angaur on 24 October 1944, after the Seabees and Army engineers had prepared the airstrip for heavy bomber operations.
C-130s of the 144th Airlift Squadron at Kulis Air National Guard Base, January 2011 while Guardmembers prepare for the move to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The 144th Airlift Squadron performed humanitarian airlift missions for famine relief in Somalia and Rwanda, supported Operation Southern Watch in Saudi Arabia, achieved an Excellent rating in its first Operational Readiness Inspection from PACAF. On 1 October 1996, the squadron entered a one-year conversion to deployment tasking from its previous in-place generation tasking. Aircrews of the 144th, have flown to the far reaches of the globe, performing missions in Panama, Thailand, Japan, Australia and Germany.
Until the squadron was completely re-equipped with new aircraft using only centimetric radar, it was necessary to ensure that all fighter aircraft in the air at any one time had either VHF or S-Band equipment – never a mixture. The S-Band equipped Beaufighters were unable to make use of the VHF Radar Beacons.Pers.Corr. with Squadron Leader Mike Dean, MBE, of the Historical Radar Archive. The changeover was not completed until August 1943, just prior to the squadron's departure to Sicily. On the 21st, seven aircrews relocated to Bône in readiness for intruder operations over Sardinia.
The wing trained aircrews for MAC, Air Mobility Command and Air Education and Training Command from 1971 to 1994 for search and rescue and special operations missions. In 1991 the wing was renumbered and consolidated with the 92nd Bombardment Wing as the 542nd Crew Training Wing. It was inactivated in 1994 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 58th Special Operations Wing, which was simultaneously activated. The wing was redesignated the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing in 2005 and activated as a logistics support organization, part of the Air Force Materiel Command Transformation project.
The wing trained South Vietnamese aircrews and maintenance personnel and Greek maintenance personnel in C-119 aircraft, 10 August to 18 December 1967. In 1968, it ferried C-119s to South Vietnam. Also in 1968, two of the wing's groups began flying Lockheed C-141 Starlifters belonging to the 436th Military Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware and the 438th Military Airlift Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. A third C-141 group joined the wing in September 1969, associated with the 437th Military Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Nevada for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in New Mexico for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
The Colt M13 Aircrewman was an ultra-lightweight version of the Detective Special constructed of aluminum alloy, and made from 1951-1957 for use by US Air Force aircrews. They are distinguished by the Air Force medallion in the place of the Colt medallion on the checkered wooden grips, as well as a cylinder made of aluminum alloy. Within two years of issuance, reports of cylinder and/or frame failure began to plague the Aircrewman and its Smith & Wesson counterpart, the Smith & Wesson Model 12, despite issuing a dedicated low- pressure .38 Special military cartridge, the Caliber .
Unlike Elmendorf, Ladd Field came the jurisdiction of Ferrying Command, which was a part of the Lend-Lease Program. Through Lend- Lease, the United States transferred nearly 8,000 aircraft to the Soviet Union though Ladd Field during the course of World War II. The aircraft were flown into Ladd from Great Falls Airfield, Montana by American civilian aircrews; Soviet crews then flew the planes west through Nome (Marks Field) and on to Siberia. The pilots leaving Great Falls flew along a route of small airfields that became known as the Northwest Staging Route. One of those airfields, Big Delta Army Airfield, southeast of Fairbanks, became Fort Greely.
After an exchange of carrier air attacks, Allied surface ships retreated from the battle area with one carrier sunk () and another heavily damaged (). The participating Japanese carrier forces also retired because of high aircraft and aircrew losses, plus significant damage to two carriers ( and ). Santa Cruz was a tactical victory and a short-term strategic victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk and damaged, and control of the seas around Guadalcanal. However, Japan's loss of many irreplaceable veteran aircrews proved to be a long-term strategic advantage for the Allies, whose aircrew losses in the battle were relatively low and quickly replaced.
Although not a great threat in air-to air combat, (they lacked maneuverability), these aircraft proved almost impossible to stop when they attacked the heavy bombers. The group flew patrols to support the airborne attack across the Rhine in March 1945, and carried out escort and fighter-bomber missions as enemy resistance collapsed in April. In the last month of the war, aircrews of the 20th downed their first Me262s. On 10 April 1945, during airfield attacks around Potsdam and Brandenburg, 20th pilots destroyed five Me262s in individual encounters, while the group as a whole eliminated a total of 55 German fighters (mostly on the ground) without a single loss.
He was also concerned that the marshy ground around Dunkirk would prove unsuitable for tanks and he wished to conserve them for later operations (in some units, tank losses were 30–50 per cent). Hitler was also apprehensive, and on a visit to Army Group A headquarters on 24 May, he endorsed the order. Air Marshal Hermann Göring urged Hitler to let the Luftwaffe (aided by Army Group B) finish off the British, to the consternation of General Franz Halder, who noted in his diary that the Luftwaffe was dependent upon the weather and aircrews were worn out after two weeks of battle. Rundstedt issued another order, which was sent uncoded.
68th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Lockheed F-94B-5-LO 53-5355, Itazuke AB, Japan, 1954 Reassigned to Tactical Air Command, re-equipped with new McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs in 1964. Deployed to bases in Thailand in 1964-1965 flying air superiority missions, close air support, strategic bombing over North Vietnam and initiating "night-owl" tactics and procedures in the fall of 1965 over North and South Vietnam during early stages of the United States' involvement in that conflict. Returned to George Air Force Base and became a replacement training unit for F-4 aircrews from February 1966 to October 1968. The unit became nonoperational for a short time.
In 1960, the unit received the F-102As and was placed under the direct supervision of the Aerospace Defense Command. The 114th FIG was assigned to the 132d Fighter Wing. As part of taking over a more active role in the defense of the continental United States, aircrews were placed on five- minute alert, and four aircraft were armed and ready to intercept and destroy enemy targets. A significant change was encountered in May 1970 when the 114th Fighter Group, Aerospace Defense Command, was redesignated to the 114th Tactical Fighter Group, Tactical Air Command. The F-102s were replaced with the F-100D Super Sabre.
At the end of May, however, one pilot happened to observe a Seiran having its bomb-release mechanism removed and replaced with a fixed mount. Realizing the implications of this change, he angrily confronted the executive officer of the squadron, who explained that the decision to withhold this intention from the other men was made to "avoid mental pressures on the aircrews."Sakaida, pp. 46–9. By 5 June 1945, all four aircraft-carrying submarines had arrived at Nanao Wan where a full-scale wooden model of the Gatun Locks gate had been built by the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, placed on a raft and towed into the bay.
Meanwhile, the South African Air Force had been supplied with some Battles. In August 1940, No. 11 Squadron took possession of at least four, which were flown north to be operated in the Italian East Africa (Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland and Eritrea) campaign. They conducted bombing and reconnaissance operations. Whereas in France the RAF's Battles had encountered modern German fighters in large numbers, the South Africans faced a smaller number of Italian biplane fighters (Fiat CR.32 and CR.42), which enabled the aircrews to contribute more effectively to the campaign; but not without several losses, especially when surprised above some predictable targets (air bases, ports etc.).
In April 1954, the 62d transported a replacement French garrison to Dien Bien Phu, French Indochina. Operation Bali Hai saw the Globemasters fly around the world in a period of 8 to 10 days. The C-124s departed the desert of Moses Lake for Germany and France, where French troops were onloaded for a flight through Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Thailand, and, finally, Vietnam, where the French joined their comrades in the defense of Dien Bien Phu. Not longer after the second and final wave of Globemasters had delivered their French troops, the aircrews learned Dien Bien Phu had fallen to the communists.
A formation of nine Avro Lincoln heavy bombers from No. 2 and No. 6 Squadrons flying over RAAF Base Amberley in 1953 On 23 February 1948, No. 23 Squadron was redesignated No. 6 Squadron. The unit was based at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland and equipped with Avro Lincoln heavy bombers. No 6 Squadron formed part of No. 82 Wing, and was primarily responsible for training aircrews to serve with the wing's two front line units; No. 1 and No. 2 Squadrons. Its training effort was increased from 1950 when No. 1 Squadron was deployed to Malaya as part of Australia's contribution to the Malayan Emergency.
In the end, they discover the fungus in a cave, being fertilized by dragon dung: it has been deliberately cultivated. Scarcely has this realization set in that the Aerial Corps are beset by Tswana humans and dragons; the British beasts, who have been sent back to the Cape with their precious cargo, are unable to prevent their aircrews from being captured, and Rev. Erasmus' attempts to intercede only lead to his death, as the Lunda are known slavers. The British contingent is taken captive and brought back to the Tswana capitol, a settlement at Mosi-oa-Tunya (what is today called Victoria Falls) for imprisonment and interrogation.
The group was called to active duty on 20 December 1990. Deployment of the unit to the Middle East began on 28 December and 160th crews and aircraft became part of three provisional air refueling wings at Al Banteen Air Base, Abu Dhabi (1712th Air Refueling Squadron (Provisional)), Al Dhafra Air Base, Dubai (1705th Air Refueling Squadron (Provisional)), and at Jeddah. Group personnel also augmented a regional support base at Moron AB, Spain while others deployed to various bases to backfill deployed active duty personnel. Aircraft and volunteer aircrews were heavily involved in "Air Bridge" refueling missions supporting deployment of combat forces to Southwest Asia.
Venomous remained out of service throughout the first half of 1944 and was decommissioned to undergo conversion into a target ship for use in training aircrews in anti-shipping attacks, with additional duty as a tender. In August 1944, she was recommissioned for service as a target ship, continuing in this role until the surrender of Germany in early May 1945. After Germanys surrender, she supported Allied forces in reoccupation operations in Europe, and on 14 May 1945 joined the destroyer leader in escorting minesweepers as they conducted minesweeping operations at Kristiansund South in Norway prior to the arrival of other Allied ships there.
In January 1942, in the midst of the Second World War, Edwards was transferred to London, England as the "Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RCAF Overseas". Edwards' wide range of experience in administration, his concern for the welfare of both officers and other ranks, and certainly his forceful personality made him the best choice to command all RCAF personnel overseas, not only in England but also in the Middle and Far East.Greenhous, Harris, Johnson, Rawling, The Crucible of War 1939–1945, University of Toronto Press 1994, p.51 According to BCATP Article XV, Canadian graduate aircrews were to form 35 RCAF squadrons after arrival in England.
Midway allowed this to occur before the first of the new Essex-class fleet carriers became available at the end of 1942. The Guadalcanal Campaign is also regarded by some as a turning point in the Pacific War. Some authors have stated that heavy losses in carriers and veteran aircrews at Midway permanently weakened the Imperial Japanese Navy.; ; Parshall and Tully have stated that the heavy losses in veteran aircrew (110, just under 25% of the aircrew embarked on the four carriers) were not crippling to the Japanese naval air corps as a whole; the Japanese navy had 2,000 carrier-qualified aircrew at the start of the Pacific war.
World War I observation crews were the first to use parachutes, long before they were adopted by fixed wing aircrews. These were a primitive type, where the main part was in a bag suspended from the balloon, with the pilot only wearing a simple body harness around his waist, with lines from the harness attached to the main parachute in the bag. When the balloonist jumped, the main part of the parachute was pulled from the bag, with the shroud lines first, followed by the main canopy. This type of parachute was first adopted by the Germans and then later by the British and French for their observation balloon crews.
Another explanation for why the F-14s did not intercept the Mirage F-1s stems from some of the procedural and technical difficulties U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets had in passing tactical information to each other. The E-3 could not directly contact the F-14s in a timely manner since they were under the control of the cruiser , which was not able to get a clear radar picture to accurately vector the F-14s. Tomcat aircrews that encountered Iraqi fighters found that the Iraqis would disengage and flee once tracked by the F-14's radar and pursued.Gillcrest 1994, p. 168.
The mission of the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center (AATTC) is increasing the warfighting effectiveness and survivability of mobility forces. The AATTC is entering its fourth decade of providing advanced tactical training to airlift aircrews from the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe, Air Force Special Operations Command, United States Marine Corps, and 18 allied nations. Through a Total Force Initiative, AATTC also provides Tactics Analysis, Tactics Development, and Electronic Warfare Development for the AMC, ANG, & AFRC mobility community. AATTC is also the office of primary responsibility for AMC’s tactics improvement process.
This breakthrough in signals intelligence, centralized at a single USAFSS facility in Seoul, meant real- time listening of Russian controllers and fighters and the subsequent passing of information to U.S. pilots. "An analysis of ground control traffic in June 1952 concluded that more than 90 percent of MiGs engaged in air operations over North Korea were being flown by Russians." The Soviet Union kept the participation of their aircrews in the Korean War secret for many years, though it was widely suspected by UN forces. Soviet aircraft were adorned with North Korean or Chinese markings and pilots wore either North Korean uniforms or civilian clothes, to disguise their origins.
The squadron structure, policies and procedures are designed to operate in support of the Strategic Airlift Capability nations' strategic policies to include combat and humanitarian airlift wherever and whenever they require it. The HAS flight crews have a varied background of flying and working with cargo aircraft, fighter jets and helicopters in their national armed forces. Apart from the US personnel, none of them have C-17 training before joining the HAW. After C-17 training has been carried out both in the United States and in Pápa, HAS aircrews are capable of reaching a high level of skill in utilizing the various capabilities of the aircraft.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in California for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC). However, Air Technical Service Command (ATSC), Air Transport Command (ATC) and I Troop Carrier Command used a significant number of airfields in a support role. A significant number of them had operational squadrons for air defense of the Pacific coastline and anti-submarine patrols, and one was even handed over to Civil Air Patrol pilots for their use.
The cannon proved to be relatively light, effective, reliable, compact and easy to manufacture due to its simple construction—80% of the weapon was made from stamped parts, and the number of moving parts was kept to a minimum by using advanced primer ignition blowback (APIB) operation. The MK 108 was optimized for a high rate of fire at the expense of ballistic performance. It was easy to maintain, and its compact size, low weight and electrical priming made it ideal for aircraft installation. The cannon's distinctive heavy pounding sound and high rate of fire gave it the nickname "pneumatic hammer" amongst Allied aircrews, who feared its destructive power.
Several different strategies were discussed and discarded as impractical; it was decided that a small airborne force composed of sappers from the Royal Engineer units attached to 1st Airborne Division would land by glider, a short distance from the plant, demolish it with explosives and then escape over the Norwegian border into Sweden. After an extensive training period, the airborne force took off in two aircraft–glider combinations on the night of 19 November 1942. Both the gliders and tugs were operated by aircrews attached to HQ No. 38 Wing RAF. The tugs and gliders managed to reach the Norwegian coast, but neither was able to reach their objective.
The 310th Expeditionary Air Refueling Flight is a provisional United States Air Force unit. The flight was last active as the 310th Air Refueling Squadron in October 1994, when it was assigned to the 380th Air Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The first predecessor of the flight is the 610th Bombardment Squadron, which served from 1943 to 1944 as an Operational Training Unit, preparing other heavy bomber units for combat, then as a Replacement Training Unit, training aircrews for Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft. The flight's second predecessor, the 310th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in the fall of 1952 and equipped with Boeing KC-97 Stratotankers.
In December, she made a transport run to convey replacement aircrews from Yokosuka to Kwajalein and Wotje, returning with the cruiser to Maizuru. While at Maizuru for refit though 18 January 1944, her X-turret was removed and replaced by additional two triple Type 96 25mm AA guns. Kasumi was returned to patrols of the northern approaches to Japan in February, escorting a troop convoy to Uruppu in late March and returning with the cruisers and to Kure at the start of August. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf from 24–25 October, she was assigned to Admiral Shima’s force in the Battle of Surigao Strait.
In USSR, the first full pressure suit was designed by engineer Ciann Downes in Leningrad in 1931. The CH-1 was a simple pressure-tight suit with a helmet which did not have joints, thus requiring substantial force to move the arms and legs when pressurised. This was remedied in later suits. Work on full pressure suits was carried out during 1936-41 by the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), with similar work being carried out by the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) after World War II. The LII produced four experimental full pressure suits for aircrews, and in 1959 began work on full pressure suits for spaceflight.
Pollard & Oliver 2002 The fire trench, a partially buried pillbox and an E pen were excavated, while the gun emplacement on the northern end of the site was cleared of vegetation. The Good Intent pub, formerly with a large concrete, planetarium-like dome next door (used for training airgunners), still exists on the Southend Road, was popular with the aircrews, and has an interesting collection of photos of the Station. A DVD about RAF Hornchurch was produced by Mike Jones for Streets Ahead Productions. The airfield is said to be hauntedPsychic Investigators Chris & Jane McCarthy and Dave Coggins and was the subject of a paranormal investigation in 2004.
Alexandria International Airport (AEX) traces its beginnings back to 1939 when it served as an emergency airstrip for Esler Regional Airport, which was about 10 miles northeast of what would become Alexandria International. However, on the eve of World War II, the air strip was taken over by the Department of Defense and named Alexandria Army Air Base. The airbase was used for training pilots and aircrews of fighter and bomber airplanes of the Army Air Force. After World War II ended, the base was placed on standby status in early 1946 and was eventually turned over to the city of Alexandria for use as a municipal airport.
A Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter on the carrier Akagi On December 7, 1941, the two waves of 350 aircraft from the six carriers gained complete surprise and successfully hit their intended targets. The initial attacks against Hawaiian airfields were also very successful and negated any possibility of an effective airborne defense or the initiation of a retaliatory strike on the Japanese carriers by American aircraft. Achieving total surprise, the well-trained Japanese aircrews dealt a series of heavy blows against the Pacific Fleet. Forty B5N torpedo bombers were the most crucial part of the operation since they were to be targeted against the main battleships and carriers.
Including inspectors, headquarters organizations in practice totalled approximately 20 officers, some of whom were also pilots, and 60 to 80 enlisted men. Each bomb squadron, in addition to its assigned flight crews, had a squadron headquarters structured similarly to the group's, and six technical support and maintenance sections supporting its aircraft, equipment, and personnel: Mess, Armament, Ordnance, Communications, Medical, and Engineering (aircraft maintenance). The ground support members of a bomb squadron numbered 15-20 officers and 250 to 300 enlisted men. Functionally, bomb groups were divided into an air echelon (the collective aircrews), and a ground echelon (all supporting ground personnel within the group, including those in attached Sub Depots).
The aircrews accomplish Special Air Missions (SAM) into unfamiliar airfields, in all weather conditions, with 99.5% reliability and often while the world is literally watching. The crews obtain diplomatic clearances and coordinate all en route support requirements essential to mission accomplishment. Typical missions include supporting Congressional delegations sent to monitor election results in Haiti, shuttle diplomacy missions in the Balkans, missions flown in support of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, and the V-E and V-J Day celebrations. The 99th Airlift Squadron routinely conducts First Lady and Air Force Two missions and provides aircrew members to augment Air Force One missions.
This upgrade included Link-16 and international maritime satellite capabilities, greatly enhancing the P-3C's communication suite. In May 2012 VP-5 deployed to Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan and the Seventh Fleet Area of Responsibility. Bringing the first five C4ASW modified Orions seen in the theater, VP-5 immediately began providing timely and accurate Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), and ASW products to high level authorities in PACOM, all while practicing the ‘hub and two spoke’ method of detaching combat aircrews to Western Pacific Nations to build and foster relationships with allied countries in an ever important and dynamic region.
By the end of 1943, around 350 aircraft were stored by 45 MU. Throughout the war there was a high number of aircraft from Kinloss crashed resulting in the loss of aircrews and it was not unusual to see the wreckage of aircraft in the countryside around the station. This was predominately because of the older aircraft that were used for training by 19 OTU, poor weather and inexperienced crews. Towards the end of 1944 the requirement for trained bomber crews reduced, resulting in the satellite at RAF Forres closing in October of that year. In November, 19 OTU's Whitley were replaced with forty Wellington bombers.
A formation of Oxford air ambulances in flight No. 6 Flying Training School at RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, in formation flight The Oxford (nicknamed the 'Ox-box') was used to prepare complete aircrews for RAF Bomber Command and could simultaneously train pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, gunners and radio operators on the same flight.Wilson 1998Fredriksen 2001, p. 15. In addition to training duties, Oxfords were used in communications and anti-submarine roles and as air ambulances in the Middle East. The Oxford was the preferred trainer for the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) and British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which sent thousands of potential aircrew to Canada for training.
B-24 Liberator as flown by the squadron VIII Bomber Command's early operations in 1942 and 1943 had shown it that weather conditions in the European Theater of Operations were such that to conduct a successful bombing campaign, the command would need to have the capability of bombing through overcast. Following the Royal Air Force's example, Eighth Air Force formed a group with specially selected aircrews that would act as "Pathfinders", using radar- equipped bombers to lead each wing's bomber formation.Freeman, p. 260 The squadron was activated as the 814th Bombardment Squadron, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator squadron of the 482d Bombardment Group on 20 August 1943.
During and immediately after the Korean War, Tactical Air Command (TAC) trained aircrews for the Douglas B-26 Invader at Langley AFB, Virginia. The three squadrons of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Group performing this mission were Air National Guard units that had been called up for the war. At the start of 1953, these squadrons were released to state control and the 423d Bombardment Squadron was activated and took over the mission, personnel, and equipment of the 117th Bombardment Squadron, which returned to the Pennsylvania guard.See In January 1954, the group mission shifted to tactical bombardment and it was redesignated the 4400th Bombardment Group.
Victims of these mistaken bombings were not limited to Swiss civilians but included the often confused American aircrews, shot down by the Swiss fighters as well as several Swiss fighters shot down by American airmen. In February 1945, 18 civilians were killed by Allied bombs dropped over Stein am Rhein, Vals, and Rafz. Arguably the most notorious incident came on 4 March 1945, when Basel and Zurich were accidentally bombed by American aircraft. The attack on Basel's railway station led to the destruction of a passenger train, but no casualties were reported; a B-24 Liberator dropped its bomb load over Zürich, destroying two buildings and killing five civilians.
39th TFTS F-4C at George AFBAircraft is McDonnell F-4C-23-MC, serial 64-781. Taken about 1980. Reactivated by Tactical Air Command in 1969 at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, assuming the personnel and equipment of the 4417th Combat Crew Training Squadron. Equipped with reconnaissance and electronic warfare versions of the Douglas B-66 Destroyer and trained tactical reconnaissance and electronic warfare crews from, 1969–1974 when the B-66 was retired. Moved to George Air Force Base, California and equipped with McDonnell F-4E Phantom IIs. Trained Wild Weasel aircrews in surface to air missile suppression tactics from, 1977–1984.
Equipped with the TF-9J "Cougar", and the T-33 Shooting Star, and conducted training in swept-wing refresher/ transition, instrument procedures, and instrument ground school. On July 2, 1967, VMT-1 received its first A-4 Skyhawk and began its transition to the new aircraft. The last F-9 was transferred in December of that year. In May 1972, the squadron was re-designated VMAT-203. With a new mix of aircraft, the A-4M, and TA-4J, the squadron was tasked to train replacement aircrews to Fleet Marine Force duty. A two-seater TAV-8B Harrier II from VMAT-203 in flight.
Five Years to Freedom James Nicholas "Nick" Rowe (February 8, 1938 – April 21, 1989) was a United States Army officer and one of only 34 American prisoners of war to escape captivity during the Vietnam War. Colonel Rowe was credited with developing the rigorous US Army Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training program taught to high-risk military personnel (such as Special Forces and aircrews) and the U.S. Army doctrine which institutionalizes these techniques and principles to be followed by captured personnel. In 1989, Rowe was killed by a unit of the New People's Army in the Philippines called the Alex Boncayao Brigade.
It was May by the time that the ground crew reached Egypt, and when they arrived, many were re-allocated to other squadrons, and they too were re-allocated to various units, servicing a variety of aircraft from Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. Many of the aircrews suffered similarly, being temporarily detached to various squadrons including: Nos. 37, 70, 104, 108, and 148 Squadrons RAF. On 1 September 1942, the No. 458 Squadron was re-constituted at El Shallufa, in Egypt, and began a new life of maritime patrols, convoy escorts and mine laying operations, once again flying Wellington bombers.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command operated a significant number of airfields in support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in North Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Atlantic Ocean and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in South Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) maintained a large base in Charleston. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields.
The 58th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Heavy) was constituted on 22 April and activated on 1 May 1943 at Smoky Hill AAF, Kansas. The wing's mission was to train the first Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews and help prepare the new aircraft for operational combat duty. On 1 June 1943 the wing was reassigned to the Boeing manufacturing plant at Marietta Army Air Field, Georgia in advance of delivery of the first YB-29 prototypes. By July, seven YB-29s had been delivered to the USAAF and were used to equip new training squadrons of the 472d Bombardment Group, the first operational group of the 58th Bomb Wing.
The fleet consisted mainly of British aircraft and largely obsolete aircraft, such as the World War II vintage Douglas Dakota transport aircraft and the British de Havilland Vampire. The arms embargo caused a lack of spare parts from external suppliers and RhAF had to find alternative means to keep its aircraft flying. The larger South African Air Force provided extensive training, aircraft and aircrews in support of RhAF operations from 1966. The Rhodesians also used more modern types of aircraft like the Hawker Hunter and Canberra bombers, the Cessna Skymaster as well as Aérospatiale Alouette III (SA316) helicopters until they were supplemented by the Agusta Bell 205.
The 305th Rescue Squadron is trained and equipped to conduct day or night combat search and rescue missions worldwide with the HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter. Its primary mission is to penetrate enemy territory, recover downed aircrews, and return them to friendly forces. Additionally, the squadron flies search and rescue missions within the United States. It searches for, locates and recovers personnel involved with United States defense activities and provides search and rescue support of civilians as directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center The squadron also provides humanitarian and disaster relief operations at the request of foreign governments and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The modern Air Force A-2 is authorized for wear by Air Force aircrews and missileers who have completed their mission qualifications.AFI 36-2903, page 114 The latest design differs from the original design in several ways: it is looser-fitting, made only from goatskin, and produced in only a medium seal brown color (though many older, fitted jackets are still in use). Unlike the World War II era pilots, modern Air Force pilots are not permitted to paint their A-2 jackets or disfigure them in any way. The official explanation for this is that the paint is flammable and could pose a fire hazard.
The United States Navy opened a short-lived Naval Air Reserve Center at Ellington in 1957. Navy pilots and aircrews flew amphibious UF-1 Albatross and land-based P2V Neptune aircraft on antisubmarine and maritime patrol training missions over the Gulf of Mexico, but budget problems forced the closure of NAVAIRESCEN Ellington just a year later. The Air Force transferred Ellington AFB to Continental Air Command (CONAC) effective 1 April 1958 and navigator training was reassigned to Mather AFB, California and James Connally AFB, Texas. As a result, in 1959, Ellington was downgraded to a reserve Air Force Base and has served the military in that capacity since.
According to General Giuseppe Santoro, this strategy was incoherent: the fortifications were designed to withstand heavy shelling and partially buried in the mountainsides. He notes further that poor maps, fog and snow made target identification difficult, and the aircrews had not been prepared for such operations, nor were their pre-war studies on them. Only 115 out of 285 Italian bomber sorties during 21–24 June located their targets, dropping only 80 tonnes of bombs. On the morning of 23 June, Italian pilots looking for the French artillery at Cap Martin, which was engaging Italian troops in Menton, accidentally bombed their own artillery on Capo Mortola, distant.
However, not a single CACW bomber was lost to enemy fighters, a tribute to the abilities of the Wing's B-25 aircrews, and the quality of the escort protection provided by the Wing's fighter pilots. The CACW produced five American air aces and three Chinese air aces, and was disbanded on 19 September 1945. The following are some of the notable air operations in 1945. On 5 January a combined group of 28 P-40N and P-51D fighters from the 14th Air Force flew from Laohekou in Hubei to attack the Japanese airfield at Wuhan, destroying 50 Japanese aircraft in the air and on the ground.
BAT was an early form of instrument landing system using radio beams. Training units based here were No. 11 (P)AFU, No 11 SFTS, No.21 (P)AFU, No. 1511 BAT Flight, No. 1517 BAT Flight and No. 1545 BAT Flight. No. 11 (P)AFU was structured into six flights, three were based at RAF Shawbury with one each at RAF Condover, RAF Perton and Wheaton Aston. Pilots on the Empire Training Scheme at Wheaton Aston received refresher and night training on Airspeed Oxford aircraft before being posted out to an Operational Training Unit with the training extended to foreign as well as domestic aircrews.
CGAS Atlantic City's mission supports a wide range of Coast Guard operations such as search and rescue (SAR), Maritime Law enforcement, port security, Aids to Navigation support and Marine Environmental Protection for both District One and District Five, which includes the coastlines of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia as well as protecting the interior bays and rivers such as the Chesapeake, Delaware, Hudson and Long Island Sound. CGAS Atlantic City also provides aircrews and aircraft to the Washington, D.C. area as part of Operation Noble Eagle, a Department of Defense (NORAD) mission to protect the airspace around the nation's capital.

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